The unseen toll: physicians burnout at Square Hospitals LTD

Abstract

Background: Burnout has become a large issue in healthcare, especially for physicians who are under a great amount of occupational stress. In the context of Bangladesh, the factors of workload (WL), working environment (WE) and working hours (WH) are identified as determinants of burnout.

Objective: To explore the association of physician burnout and its determinants (i.e. workload, working environment, working hours) among physicians at Square Hospital Ltd., Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Methods: The method used was quantitative with primary data collected in May and June 2022. One hundred doctors of Square Hospital Ltd. were asked about their experiences with a 30-item structured questionnaire developed specifically for the Bangladeshi health care environment.

Results: A moderate positive correlation between physician burnout and the three factors which influenced it, namely workload, working environment, and working hours, was found at Square Hospital Ltd., where physicians were seen to be overloaded with job responsibilities, with a high level of physician burnout in the surveyed population. The impacts of excessive workload, unfavorable working environment and extended working hours are significant factors for physician burnout at Square Hospital Ltd. This burn-out, in turn, was revealed to have an adverse impact on the quality of the services doctors render.

Conclusion: The results indicate a need for targeted organizational interventions to help reduce physician burnout and protect the quality of patient care in comparable healthcare environments, including redistributing workload, working conditions, and working hours.