Open Access to General Practice Was Associated with Burnout among General Practitioners

Area of Science:

• General Practice
• Occupational Health
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Walk-in open access in general practice is a model where patients can attend without a prior appointment.
• Limited research exists on the occupational consequences for general practitioners (GPs) implementing open access.
• Burnout is a significant concern in the medical profession, impacting healthcare quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the prevalence of burnout among GPs with and without walk-in open access.
• To investigate the association between open access and burnout in Danish general practice.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire study was conducted in 2004 involving 376 active GPs in Aarhus County, Denmark.
• Walk-in open access was defined as daily availability for unscheduled patient visits.
• Burnout was assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory, with logistic regression analyses adjusted for multiple covariates.

Main Results:

• 8% of GPs reported offering walk-in open access.
• The overall prevalence of burnout among GPs was 24%.
• GPs with walk-in open access showed a 3-fold increased likelihood of burnout (OR = 3.1; P = 0.035).

Conclusions:

• Walk-in open access in general practice is associated with a higher prevalence of burnout among GPs.
• While causality cannot be established, the findings suggest potential negative occupational consequences of open access models.
• Close monitoring of open access implementation and its impact on GP well-being is recommended.