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Burnout in orthopaedic surgeons: a review
Manit Arora1, Ashish D Diwan, Ian A Harris
1University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. z3188840@unsw.edu.au
ANZ Journal of Surgery
|June 26, 2013
Summary
Orthopaedic surgeons experience high burnout rates (50-60%), exceeding general surgeons. Subjective factors like unrewarding careers significantly correlate with this burnout, necessitating targeted interventions.
Area of Science:
- Orthopaedic Surgery
- Occupational Health
- Psychology
Background:
- Orthopaedic surgery training and practice are inherently stressful, increasing the risk of burnout.
- Burnout syndrome negatively impacts patient outcomes, healthcare institutions, and surgeons themselves.
- This review synthesizes existing literature on burnout within orthopaedic surgery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize the current body of literature on burnout among orthopaedic surgeons.
- To provide recommendations for future research and interventions in this critical area.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature search of MEDLINE and EMBASE databases.
- Utilized search terms including 'Burnout, Professional', 'Orthopaedics', 'Stress, Psychological', and 'Orthopaedic Surgery'.
- Focused on studies assessing burnout in orthopaedic surgeons, employing the Maslach Burnout Inventory for standardized comparisons.
Main Results:
- Burnout rates in orthopaedic surgeons range from 50-60%, significantly higher than the 30-40% observed in general surgeons.
- Orthopaedic residents exhibit the highest burnout rates, followed by department chairs and faculty members.
- Both objective (e.g., caseload) and subjective factors (e.g., perceived lack of autonomy) contribute to burnout, with subjective factors showing a stronger correlation.
Conclusions:
- Despite high burnout prevalence, research in this area remains limited.
- Further investigation is needed to identify specific burnout factors across different orthopaedic populations.
- Development and implementation of targeted interventions are crucial to mitigate burnout in orthopaedic surgeons.
