Perception of Support, Communication, and Burnout: Cross-Sectional Analysis of a National Survey of Veterans...

To assess the relationship between burnout scores for patient safety professionals and perceived support from the National Center for Patient Safety (NCPS) and direct communication with medical center directors in the Veterans Health Administration (VA). Our secondary objective was to analyze qualitative responses on communication barriers to identify areas for improvement.

A system-wide cross-sectional quality improvement survey of VA patient safety professionals.

Our final sample included 212 patient safety professionals who completed a questionnaire adapted from the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. The survey measured personal, work-related, and facility-related burnout, with an additional item addressing the emotional impact of patient safety events. Nonparametric tests were used to examine relationships due to small sample sizes and non-normal distributions.

Feeling supported by the NCPS was associated with significantly lower burnout scores across all dimensions ( P <0.001). Facility staff-related burnout was higher among those reporting communication barriers with directors ( P =0.012), although one-on-one communication was not significantly associated with lower burnout scores. Qualitative responses from 12 participants identified logistical and bureaucratic challenges as key barriers to direct communication with directors.

These findings indicate that organizational support may help mitigate burnout among patient safety professionals. Addressing logistical and bureaucratic barriers could enhance communication and improve the effectiveness of patient safety programs in the VA as well as other systems of care.