Factors Influencing Emergency Medical Services Burnout

ABSTRACT

Study Objectives: Increased rates of suicide and suicidal thoughts amongst Emergency Medical Service (EMS) professionals continue to be reported in literature which has directed attention to potential causative factors. Burnout is one of the factors most discussed as being associated with this increase. There are limited studies of factors that correlate with increased burnout. Our objective was to conduct a survey of a statewide population of emergency services providers to evaluate their rate of burnout in addition to identifying both work and personal factors that may contribute to their burnout level. We also looked at self-reported burnout prior to the Covid 19 pandemic and during. Method(s) A voluntary, anonymous electronic survey was distributed to all registered emergency medical providers in the state of Louisiana through the Louisiana Bureau of EMS and the Louisiana Ambulance Alliance from 5/18/2020 to 7/24/2020. These participants represented paid and volunteer providers from a variety of systems to include;fire based, private, third city and air medical services. Data was analyzed utilizing descriptive statistics. Results/Findings: We received a total of 1,505 responses from the 24,000 EMS providers licensed with the Louisiana Bureau of EMS. The overall response rate when factoring all active Louisiana providers was 6.09% However, the response rate increases with increasing level of provider with more 50% of responses from paramedic and advanced emergency medical technicians (AEMT) The paramedic response rate was 22.39%. The advanced EMT response rate was 28.74% The EMT response rate was much lower at 9.03%. Burnout level increased with number of years of EMS experience, increased years at current EMS provider level and more advanced levels of provider. Shift length of 12-24 hours showed the highest level of burnout (2.8, IQR 2-4). Decreased amounts of sleep correlated with increasing burnout levels. Supervisory positions correlated with higher levels of burnout. Services that did transfers only showed the lowest burnout levels (1, IQR 0-2) and those who did scene calls with and without transfer and special events showed the highest levels of burnout (2.75, IQR 2-3.5). Burnout level for pre-COVID (at 2.1) was statistically lower than burnout during COVID (2.7, p=3.15x10- 24). Burnout level pre-COVID was highest when respondents were contemplating leaving the profession and expected their profession to end within less than 1.75 years (135 individuals fall into this category). Burnout during COVID was highest not only with those two categories influencing it, but also with the perception of unfair compensation, typical shift length and years of experience. Unfair compensation had a greater impact for the COVID burnout measurement than years of expected continued service. Conclusion(s) Pressures resulting in high burnout changed in this time;although contemplating leaving was still the greatest factor contributing to burnout, the second-most important decision changed from predictions about continued employment to concerns regarding fair compensation. Burnout was significantly higher during COVID and was subject to more variables than pre-COVID burnout. [Formula presented] [Formula presented] No, authors do not have interests to disclose Copyright © 2022