Burnout among trauma surgeons: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Surgical Specialties
• Physician Well-being

Background:

• Burnout is a significant occupational concern impacting physicians and patient care.
• Trauma surgeons face high burnout rates, yet this specific group remains under-researched.
• This study systematically reviews burnout prevalence and contributing factors in trauma surgeons.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of burnout among trauma surgeons.
• To identify factors that exacerbate or alleviate burnout in this population.
• To inform targeted interventions for physician well-being in trauma surgery.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review and meta-analysis following PRISMA and MOOSE guidelines.
• Searched multiple databases, journals, and cross-referenced literature.
• Analyzed 19 studies (n=4,634) using random-effects meta-analysis and meta-regression.

Main Results:

• Pooled burnout prevalence among trauma surgeons was 60.0% (95% CI 46.9% to 74.4%).
• High emotional exhaustion (35.2%) and depersonalization (45.6%) were noted, with strong personal accomplishment (75.3%).
• Younger age, long work hours, and administrative tasks exacerbated burnout; mentorship and protected non-clinical time were protective.

Conclusions:

• Trauma surgeons exhibit among the highest burnout rates, necessitating physician-centric interventions focused on prevention.
• Specialty-specific resilience factors, indicated by high personal accomplishment, warrant further investigation.
• Implementing mentorship, psychological risk management, and protected non-clinical time can mitigate burnout effectively.