Global Cardiac Anesthesia Workforce Assessment: A Cross-Sectional Observational Survey Study

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Anesthesiology
• Global Health Workforce Studies

Background:

• Cardiac anesthesiology is a specialized field with a global workforce.
• Understanding the demographics, training, and work environment is crucial for professional development and patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the global demographics, training background, practice setting, and work environment of cardiac anesthesiologists.
• To identify factors contributing to burnout and work-life balance challenges in this profession.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional, multilingual web-based survey was conducted globally from June to December 2023.
• The survey targeted anesthesiologists actively practicing cardiac anesthesia, using non-probabilistic and snowball sampling techniques.
• Data were collected on demographics, training, work hours, compensation, work-life balance, and burnout (emotional exhaustion).

Main Results:

• 3,430 participants from 99 countries responded, revealing significant regional differences in training and demographics.
• A high percentage reported informal training (42.7%) and lack of formal transesophageal echocardiography training (44.6%).
• Burnout prevalence was 31.7%, associated with increased work hours, call frequency, and inadequate compensation, while older age and better work-life balance mitigated risk.

Conclusions:

• The global cardiac anesthesia workforce exhibits considerable heterogeneity in training and practice conditions.
• High burnout rates and dissatisfaction with compensation and work-life balance are prevalent.
• Many cardiac anesthesiologists desire changes to improve their professional lives and well-being.