You are using an outdated browser. For a faster, safer browsing experience, upgrade for free today.

The effect of work-related risk factors on health symptoms of hospital physicians

The effect of work-related risk factors on health symptoms of hospital physicians

ISSN 2223-6775 Ukrainian journal of occupational health Vol.15, No 4, 2019

The effect of work-related risk factors on health symptoms of hospital physicians

Vangelova K., Dimitrova I., Cekova I., Stoyanova R.

https://doi.org/10.33573/ujoh2019.04.281

National Center of Public Health and Analyses, Sofia 1413, Bulgaria

Full article (PDF), ENG

Abstract

Introduction. The job of hospital physicians is responsible and decision-rich, carried under shift work. For years Bulgaria is facing physician’s shortage, which contributes to their long working hours. The aim of the study was to follow the work-related risk factors of hospital physicians in Sofia.

Methods. The study is cross-sectional and comprised 759 physicians (456 females and 303 males) of average age 44.3 ± 14.1 years from 19 hospitals in Sofia. The anonymous questionnaire was filled, including demographic information, working hours and shift system, with special attention to night work and long working hours, stress and health symptoms. Statistical analysis was made using SPSS.

Results. More than 90 % of the physicians felt under strain and emotional dissonance of working with patients. 27.1 % of the physicians worked more than 5 night shifts monthly. Overtime was common, 64.9 % of the studied physicians were working overtime > 2 times per week and 49.8 % worked in second health care establishment, together with a second workplace contributing to long working hours of 51-60 hours per week in 27.8 % of the physicians and > 61 hours in 13.7 %. Work-related stress, night work and long-term working hours were related to self-rated emotional and physical exhaustion and poor health.

Discussion. The work-related factors raise health concerns for occupational health of hospital physicians and urgent preventive measures are needed to control stress and reduce working hours and night work.

Keywords: work-related stress, overtime, shift work

References

  1. Baldwin DC, Daugherty SR, Tsia R, Scotti MJ. (2003), “A National Survey of Residents’ Self-Reported Work Hours: Thinking Beyond Specialty”, Acad Med ,78, 1154–1163. https://doi.org/10.1097/00001888-200311000-00018
  2. Cohen JS, Patten S. (2005), “Well-being in residency training: a survey examining resident physician satisfaction both within and outside of residency training and mental health in Alberta”, BMC Med Educ., 5:21. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6920-5-21
  3. Renzi C, Di Pietro C, Tabolli S. (2012), “Psychiatric morbidity and emotional exhaustion among hospital physicians and nurses: association with perceived job-related factors,” Arch Environ Occup Health, 67(2), 117–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/19338244.2011.578682
  4. Hämmig O. (2018), Explaining burnout and the intention to leave the profession among health professionals – a cross-sectional study in a hospital setting in Switzerland”, BMC Health Services Research, 18,785. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-018-3556-1
  5. Taylor C, Graham J, Potts HWW, Richards MA, Ramirez AJ. (2005), “Changes in mental health of UK hospital consultants since the mid-1990s”, Lancet, 366, 742–744. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(05)67178-4
  6. Ettorre G, Greco M. (2015), “Healthcare Work and Organizational Interventions to Prevent Work-related Stress in Brindisi, Italy”, Safety and Health at Work , 6(1), 35-38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shaw.2014.10.003
  7. Karhula K, Härmä M, Sallinen M, Hublin C, Virkkala J, Kivimäki M, Vahtera J, Puttonen S. (2013), “Job Strain, Sleep and Alertness in Shift Working Health Care Professionals – a Field Study”, Industrial Health, 51(4), 406–16. https://doi.org/10.2486/indhealth.2013-0015
  8. Karhula K, Härmä M, Sallinen M, Hublin C, Virkkala J, Kivimäki M, Vahtera J, Puttonen S. (2013), “Association of job strain with working hours, shift-dependent perceived workload, sleepiness and recovery”, Ergonomics, 56(11), 1640–51. https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2013.837514
  9. Vangelova K, Cekova I, Dimitrova I. (2018), “Sleep and fatigue in hospital physicians in relation to shift work”, Ukrainian Journal of Occupational Health, 56 (3), 16-21. https://doi.org/10.33573/ujoh2018.03.016
  10. Moreno CRC, Marqueze EC, Sargent C, Wright KP, Ferguson SA and Tucker P. (2019), “Working time society consensus statements: evidence-based effects of shift work on physical and mental health”, Industrial Health, 57, 139-157. https://doi.org/10.2486/indhealth.SW-1
  11. Knutsson A. (2003}, “Health disorders of shift workers”, Occup. Med., 53,103-108. https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqg048
  12. OPINION of the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety on the "Assessment of the health risks associated with night work" ANSES Maisons-Alfort, 2016
  13. Landrigan CP, Rothschild JM, Cronin JW, Kaushal R, Burdick E, Katz JT, Lilly CM, Stone PH, Lockley SW, Bates DW, Czeisler CA. (2004), Effect of reducing interns’ work hours on serious medical errors in intensive care units”, N Eng J Med, 351, 1838–1848. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa041406
  14. Keller M, Bamberg E, Böhmert M, Nienhaus A. (2010), “Entwicklung eines Instruments zur stressbezogenen Arbeitsanalyse für Klinikärztinnen und -ärzte (ISAK)”, Zeitschrift für Arbeitswissenschaft , 64,337–353.
  15. SHORT COPSOQ II questionnaire. National Centre for the Working Environment, Denmark
  16. Vandevala T, Pavey L, Chelidoni O, Chang N-F, Creagh-Brown B, Cox A. (2017}, “Psychological rumination and recovery from work in intensive care professionals: associations with stress, burnout, depression and health”, Journal of Intensive Care, 5,16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40560-017-0209-0
  17. Vandenbroeck S, Van Gerven E, De Witte H, Vanhaecht K, Godderis L. (2017), “Burnout in Belgian physicians and nurses”, Occup Med (Lond), 67(7), 546 –554. https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqx126
  18. Demerouti E, Bakker AB, Nachreiner F, Schaufeli WB. (2001), “The job demands-resources model of burnout”, Journal of Applied Psychology, 86, 499–512. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.86.3.499
  19. Wallace JE, Lemaire JB, Ghali WA. (2009}, “Physician wellness: a missing quality indicator”, Lancet, 374,714–1721. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(09)61424-0
  20. Rotenstein LS, Torre M, Ramos MA, et al. (2018). “Prevalence of Burnout Among Physicians: A Systematic Review”, JAMA, 320(11), 1131–1150. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2018.12777