Well-being of the Swiss General Internal Medicine workforce: a nationwide survey

Physician well-being is related to productivity and quality of care. The well-being of general internists (physicians who provide most primary care services) has never been comprehensively examined in Switzerland. In this survey, we assessed the well-being of Swiss general internists and its relationship to personal and work-related factors.

In November 2022, we conducted a national survey among members of the Swiss Society of General Internal Medicine. We evaluated the association between personal and work-related factors and reduced well-being (Physician Well-Being Index ≥4 points) using multivariable logistic regression.

The response rate was 21% (1672/8111 members). Among the respondents whose data was analysed, 44% (710/1624) were women and 76% (1234/1613) primarily worked in an out-patient setting. Overall, 33% (543/1621) reported reduced well-being and 54% (876/1623) felt burnt out. Older age was associated with a lower likelihood of reduced well-being (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.97, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.96-0.98, per year) while being female was associated with a higher likelihood of reduced well-being (aOR 1.33, 95% CI 1.03-1.72). Factors associated with reduced well-being included working in an outpatient setting (aOR 1.76, 95% CI 1.24-2.51), having ≤2.5 personally rewarding working hours/day (aOR 2.18, 95% CI 1.63-2.90), long weekly working hours (aOR 1.02, 95% CI 1.01-1.03, per hour) and dissatisfaction with income (aOR 2.42, 95% CI 1.78-3.30).

A third of Swiss general internists reported having a reduced well-being and approximately half felt burnt out. Female sex and several work-related factors such as working in an out-patient setting, long working hours, few personally rewarding work hours, and income dissatisfaction were related to having a reduced well-being.