Burnout among anaesthetists in Chinese hospitals: a multicentre, cross-sectional survey in 6 provinces

ObjectivesAnesthesiology has reached a new stage which anaesthesia safety is significantly affected by human factors. The number of Chinese anaesthetists has increased to nearly twice as many as that in 2005. Attributed to traditional concepts, many problems in anesthesiology persist in Chinese hospitals. This study aims to determine the current status of anaesthesia job burnout, including problems related to burnout, as well as the conditions of anaesthesia human resources in Chinese hospitals. MethodsA multi-center, cross-sectional survey of 395 anaesthetists from 60 hospitals in 6 provinces was conducted to collect data on the work conditions of anesthesiologists by using questionnaires. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was used to measure burnout. Different statistical models were also used to evaluate the data. ResultsThe number of Chinese anaesthetists has increased to nearly twice as many as that in 2005. According to our field survey of burnout among anaesthetists, only 17 (4.30%) respondents exhibited high levels of burnout. The average scores corresponding to the dimensions of burnout are 14.64 11.40 (emotional exhaustion, EE), 4.22 +/- 5.74 (depersonalization, DP), and 33.41 +/- 10.05 (personal accomplishment, PA), as determined by MBI. These results indicate the differences in the spatial distribution of anaesthetists. Moreover, 15.3% of the anaesthetists showed high EE, 8.1% exhibited high DP, and 33.6% had low PA. ConclusionAnxiety and undesirable conditions experienced by professional groups in anaesthesiology need to be addressed. Educational level, an important factor in anaesthesia care, influences not only psychological health of practitioners but patient safety as well. Thus, personnel structure must be optimized to relieve tension in the practice of the profession and reduce burnout among anaesthetists in hospitals in China. Meanwhile, the management must increase its effort toward improving the mental health of practitioners and patient safety in anaesthesia care.