Posters
Academic Level (Author 1)
Medical Student
Academic Level (Author 2)
Medical Student
Academic Level (Author 3)
Medical Student
Academic Level (Author 4)
Medical Student
Discipline Track
Community/Public Health
Abstract
Background: Current research on physician burnout is not only scarce when looking at rural communities, but it is further limited when evaluating its prevalence in physicians caring for the medically underserved. This study aims to determine the rate of physician burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic and identify effective coping interventions in an underserved mixed rural–urban region along the Texas–Mexico border.
Methods: We conducted a regional study in a small sample of US physicians from various specialties using a structured questionnaire. Participants were contacted using listed work emails within the UTHealth Rio Grande Valley system over a five week period between December 2022 - January 2023. Of the 30 who consented, 25 met inclusion criteria of having an MD/DO degree, being 18 years or older, and actively practicing medicine between January 2020 - December 2021. Participants self-selected for experiencing burnout based on the description provided by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Additionally, participants identified the time periods during the pandemic where burnout and its negative effects were felt the most. Prevalence of self-reported burnout during the participants career and during the COVID-19 pandemic were assessed. Using a 5 point Likert scale, averages were used to rank the perceived effectiveness of services used to cope with burnout and its negative implications.
Results: Of the consented respondents, 83% met inclusion criteria, 63% were male, and 20% were Caucasian. 72% of physicians experienced feelings of burnout during their medical career. Of the 62% of physicians who experienced burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lockdown period (March 2020 - May 2020) was rated as the time most burnout was felt. Interventions perceived as the most helpful for coping with burnout and its negative implications include personal, non-work activities (3.95) and a flexible schedule (3.52).
Conclusions: Burnout is highly prevalent among US physicians practicing in the Rio Grande Valley region. These findings demonstrate personal, non-work related activities and a flexible schedule are interventions physicians find most helpful in combating burnout and its negative implications. Additional research is needed to determine the effectiveness of the interventions in addressing physician burnout.
Presentation Type
Poster
Recommended Citation
Herrera, Lauren A.; Escalera, Ruth; Vazquez, Ericka; and Jacobsen, Victoria, "The COVID-19 Impact on Physician Wellness in the Rio Grande Valley" (2024). Research Colloquium. 31.
https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/colloquium/2023/posters/31
Included in
The COVID-19 Impact on Physician Wellness in the Rio Grande Valley
Background: Current research on physician burnout is not only scarce when looking at rural communities, but it is further limited when evaluating its prevalence in physicians caring for the medically underserved. This study aims to determine the rate of physician burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic and identify effective coping interventions in an underserved mixed rural–urban region along the Texas–Mexico border.
Methods: We conducted a regional study in a small sample of US physicians from various specialties using a structured questionnaire. Participants were contacted using listed work emails within the UTHealth Rio Grande Valley system over a five week period between December 2022 - January 2023. Of the 30 who consented, 25 met inclusion criteria of having an MD/DO degree, being 18 years or older, and actively practicing medicine between January 2020 - December 2021. Participants self-selected for experiencing burnout based on the description provided by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Additionally, participants identified the time periods during the pandemic where burnout and its negative effects were felt the most. Prevalence of self-reported burnout during the participants career and during the COVID-19 pandemic were assessed. Using a 5 point Likert scale, averages were used to rank the perceived effectiveness of services used to cope with burnout and its negative implications.
Results: Of the consented respondents, 83% met inclusion criteria, 63% were male, and 20% were Caucasian. 72% of physicians experienced feelings of burnout during their medical career. Of the 62% of physicians who experienced burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lockdown period (March 2020 - May 2020) was rated as the time most burnout was felt. Interventions perceived as the most helpful for coping with burnout and its negative implications include personal, non-work activities (3.95) and a flexible schedule (3.52).
Conclusions: Burnout is highly prevalent among US physicians practicing in the Rio Grande Valley region. These findings demonstrate personal, non-work related activities and a flexible schedule are interventions physicians find most helpful in combating burnout and its negative implications. Additional research is needed to determine the effectiveness of the interventions in addressing physician burnout.