ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Burnout is one of the many challenges physicians may face in their careers. While there are studies focusing on burnout among surgical specialties, there are limited studies focusing on burn out at different levels of training. The aim of this study is to measure and compare rates of burnout between junior and senior trainees in urological surgery as well as to identify changes in training that could be made to improve work-life balance. METHOD(S): To assess professional burnout, respondents completed the 22-item Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey as part of the 2019 AUA census. Respondents were categorized into junior trainees (PGY1, PGY2, PGY3) and senior trainees (PGY4, PGY5, and fellow). RESULT(S): A total of 512 respondents were included. Senior trainees represented 57% while junior trainees represented 43% of the total cohort. The prevalence of burnout (p=0.005) and high levels of depersonalization (p=0.018) were 50% in junior trainees and 38% in senior trainees. High levels of emotional exhaustion were 9% for junior and 5% for senior trainees (p=0.053) (Table 1). The top changes to improve work life balance for urology trainees were access to meal plans, on-call rooms, and time to attend health appointments (Figure 1). CONCLUSION(S): Juniors experience higher levels of burnout, depersonalization, and emotional exhaustion when compared to seniors. Providing meal plans, on-call quarters, and time to attend health appointments are the top changes to improve work-life balance among urology trainees. These changes may have a dramatic impact on the well-being of our trainees, especially in this post-COVID era. (Figure Presented).
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Telemedicine is an emerging field in which physicians can interact electronically with patients to improve health. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of telemedicine has grown exponentially. As physicians work to provide equally high-quality care for their patients remotely, their experiences must be considered. Methods: This study utilized an online anonymous survey of physicians to assess their satisfaction, comfort level and student involvement when using telemedicine for patient care. Results: Overall, physicians’ experiences with the integration of telemedicine into their practices varied based on gender, the presence of medical students, age and prior experience with telemedicine. Physicians are more comfortable with telemedicine now than they had been prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and physicians who had prior experience were less likely to find it stressful to incorporate. Physicians in both the youngest (30–39 years old) and oldest (60 and older) categories reported the highest levels of satisfaction with telemedicine. Female physicians indicated they will be more likely to incorporate more telemedicine into practice in the future, beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the specialties surveyed, family physicians report the lowest levels of comfort and satisfaction with telemedicine. Conclusion: Physician respondents of this survey provided valuable data on the perceptions of the widespread incorporation of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further research can follow which physicians choose to keep telemedicine integrated into their practices and how the demand for these virtual visits may change in the coming months.