Burnout in the Emergency Department: Survey of Prevalence and Modifiable Risk Factors

We assessed the prevalence of burnout syndrome among emergency physicians and advanced practice practitioners (APP) in an academic emergency department (ED) to identify demographic and lifestyle factors associated with burnout.

We administered a cross-sectional survey including the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) with a demographic/lifestyle component to emergency physicians, residents, and APPs at an academic ED. We reported descriptive data and performed chi-square analysis to identify significant variables, followed by logistic regression to quantify their effects. A factor count was performed to assess for additive effects of burnout risk factors.

We collected 55 surveys (60% response rate) yielding an overall burnout prevalence of 52.7%. The following had a significant association with burnout: 0-6 days off per month; fewer than two major hobbies; thoughts of quitting one's job "at least some of the time"; and spending less than four hours outdoors per week. Zero to six days off per month was associated with 4.70 times more burnout compared to ≥7 days off per month (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.24-17.82). Participants who met 3-4 vs 0-2 of the previously mentioned conditions had a 6.87 times increased burnout prevalence (95% CI 2.01-23.52).

This preliminary study highlights four unique factors associated with burnout. It also demonstrates that a specific number of days off may reduce burnout prevalence. Emergency department wellness efforts should consider focusing on strategically scheduling time off each month while encouraging individual habit generation and time spent outdoors to maximize burnout protection. Further research is needed to evaluate the efficacy of the proposed interventions.