Burnout and Cognitive Load Among Primary Care Clinicians: A Cross-Sectional Mixed-Methods Survey Study

Area of Science:

• Primary Care Medicine
• Occupational Health
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Burnout is prevalent among primary care clinicians (PCCs), impacting job satisfaction and care quality.
• While administrative burden and EHR complexity are known factors, cognitive load's role in PCC burnout is understudied.
• Cognitive load, the mental effort for complex clinical information processing, may be a key mechanism for burnout.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess burnout and cognitive load prevalence in PCCs.
• To evaluate differences in burnout and cognitive load based on clinician characteristics.
• To examine associations between cognitive load domains and burnout.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey was conducted among PCCs in a primary care system (August-December 2023).
• Burnout was measured using the Abbreviated Maslach Burnout Inventory (aMBI).
• Cognitive load was assessed using the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX), with linear regression analyzing associations.

Main Results:

• 77.9% of surveyed PCCs met burnout criteria.
• Clinicians with burnout reported significantly higher mental demand (p=0.01), temporal demand (p=0.01), and frustration (p<0.001).
• Qualitative analysis revealed themes of administrative overload, EHR complexity, time pressure, and emotional exhaustion.

Conclusions:

• Burnout is common in PCCs and associated with increased mental/temporal demands and frustration.
• Cognitive load and burnout are closely linked in complex primary care settings.
• Interventions reducing cognitive burden may enhance clinician well-being.