Health impacts in pathology workforce during mergers and acquisitions (M&A)

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Occupational Health
• Laboratory Science

Background:

• Organizational consolidation through mergers and acquisitions (M&A) is increasingly common in healthcare settings.
• Laboratory professionals (LPs) face unique workplace stressors during M&A, potentially impacting their well-being.
• Understanding the factors that influence burnout in LPs during these transitions is crucial for maintaining workforce stability and quality of care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare burnout levels in laboratory professionals (LPs) exposed to mergers and acquisitions (M&A) versus those not exposed.
• To investigate the moderating role of social support on the relationship between M&A exposure and burnout in LPs.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey design was employed, distributing questionnaires to clinical LPs.
• Data were collected from 732 LPs with M&A exposure and 819 LPs without M&A exposure.
• Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the impact of M&A exposure on burnout and the moderating effect of social support, controlling for relevant covariates.

Main Results:

• Exposure to M&A was significantly associated with higher levels of burnout among LPs (p<0.05).
• Increased social support was linked to a reduced likelihood of burnout in LPs exposed to M&A.
• For every unit increase in social support, the odds of an LP developing high burnout decreased by 7.1% (OR 0.93; 95% CI 0.88 to 0.98; p=0.004).

Conclusions:

• Laboratory professionals exposed to mergers and acquisitions are at a higher risk of experiencing burnout.
• Social support acts as a protective factor, mitigating burnout in LPs during M&A.
• These findings have significant policy implications for laboratory leadership, emphasizing the need to foster social support systems during periods of organizational change.