Primary care physician digital health profile and burnout: an international cross-sectional study

Digital health offers promising solutions for enhancing patient care, yet adoption varies among physicians, partly due to concerns about administrative burdens and burnout. This study assessed digital health use and burnout among primary care physicians in 10 OECD countries and examined their relationship.

We conducted a secondary analysis of "The Commonwealth Fund's 2022 International Health Policy Survey," including 9526 randomly selected primary care physicians (general practitioners or pediatricians in ambulatory care) from 10 OECD countries. We created a digital health score based on the use and frequency of digital tools. Self-reported burnout and related outcomes were analyzed. Cross-country differences were assessed using stratified analyses. Associations between digital health and burnout and related outcomes were explored using stratified analyses and logistic regressions.

Most physicians used electronic records; video consultations or connected tools for chronic care. Digital health scores were highest in the Netherlands and UK, and lowest in Germany and Switzerland. 35% of physicians reported burnout, with the highest prevalence in New Zealand (49%) and Canada (46%), and lowest in the Netherlands (12%) and Switzerland (18%). Digital health use positively correlated with workload dissatisfaction but not with burnout, stress, satisfaction with administrative work, or work-life balance.

Physicians' digital health use and burnout varied substantially across countries but were not correlated. While digital health is often considered a factor linked to physician burnout, our results do not support this view. They also highlight the need to ensure that digital health reduces, rather than exacerbates, physicians' workload.