RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Impact of COVID-19 on American Family Physicians’ Intent to Retreat from Clinical Care
JF The Journal of the American Board of Family
                Medicine
JO J Am Board Fam Med
FD American Board of Family Medicine
SP jabfm.2023.230156R1
DO 10.3122/jabfm.2023.230156R1
A1 Brazeau, Chantal M. L. R.
A1 Chen, Ping-Hsin
A1 Morley, Christopher P.
A1 Olson, Kristine
YR 2023
UL http://www.jabfm.org/content/early/2023/12/13/jabfm.2023.230156R1.abstract
AB Purpose: This survey evaluated whether the COVID-19 pandemic was a traumatic stress event for family physicians associated with burnout, changes in life priorities, and intentions to retreat from clinical practice.Methods: We report on 683 clinically active family physicians surveyed through the Council of Academic Family Medicine’s Educational Research Alliance (CERA) in the fall of 2021.Results: Overall, 35.2% of family physicians experienced the pandemic as a traumatic stress like event. This was associated with changing life priorities (OR 2.6, CI 1.8-3.9), burnout (OR 1.6, CI 1.1 to 2.4), and withdrawal from clinical practice in various ways. Those who changed their priorities in life were more likely to restrict scope of practice (OR 3.9, CI 2.6-5.9), reduce clinical work effort (OR 3.4, 2.3 to 5.1), relocate (OR 3.1, CI 2.0 to 4.8), retire (OR 2.7, CI 1.4-4.9), reroute their career away from patient care (OR 2.1, CI 1.4-3.1) and less likely to avoid redesigning the practice to improve well-being (OR 0.3, CI 0.2-0.7). Those who experienced burnout were more likely to retire (OR 5.5, CI 2.8 to 10.5), reduce clinical work effort (OR 4.2, CI 2.9-6.1), reroute their career away from patient care (OR 3.9, CI 2.6-5.8), relocate (OR 3.8, CI 2.4 to 5.9), and restrict scope of practice (OR 3.3, CI 2.3 to 4.9). Overall, 48.5% of family physicians expressed some intention to retreat from clinical practice.Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic impacted family physician’s career plans. Remedying burnout is a high-yield opportunity for retaining clinically active family physicians. Physicians retreating from clinical medicine related to changing life’s priorities needs further exploration.