ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Melissa L. Harry, PhD; Nancy L. Sudak, MD; Mary J. Engels, MS, PCC, CDE; Karly K. Horn, BAS, CWWPM; Kate Dean, MBA; Sara Poplau, BA; Martin J. Stillman, MD, JD; Mark Linzer, MD
Corresponding Author: Melissa L. Harry, PhD; Essentia Institute of Rural Health - Essentia Health
Email: Melissa.Harry@EssentiaHealth.org
DOI: 10.3122/jabfm.2023.230233R1
Keywords: Advanced Practice Clinicians, Burnout, Clinicians, Family Medicine, Health Workforce, Mini Z, Physicians, Quantitatve Research, Rural Medicine, Secondary Data Analysis, Survey and Questionnaires, Urban Health Services, Work-Life Balance
Dates: Submitted: 06-15-2023; Revised: 08-21-2023; Accepted: 08-29-2023
FINAL PUBLICATION: |HTML| |PDF|
INTRODUCTION: Recruiting rural-practicing clinicians is a high priority. In this study, we explored burnout and contributing work conditions among rural, urban, and family practice physicians and Advanced Practice Clinicians (APCs) in an Upper Midwestern healthcare system.
METHODS: The Mini Z burnout reduction measure was administered by anonymous electronic survey in March 2022. We conducted bivariate analyses of study variables, then assessed relationships of study variables to burnout with multivariate binary logistic regression.
RESULTS: Of 1,118 clinicians (63% response rate), 589 physicians and 496 APCs were included in this study (n=1,085). Most were female (56%), physicians (54%), and White (86%), while 21% were in family practice, 46% reported burnout, and 349 practiced rurally. Rural and urban clinician burnout rates were comparable (45% vs. 47%). Part-time work protected against burnout for family practice and rural clinicians, but not urban clinicians. In multivariate models for rural clinicians, stress (OR: 8.53, 95% CI: 4.09-17.78, p<0.001), lack of workload control (OR: 3.06, 95% CI: 1.47-6.36, p=0.003), busy/chaotic environments (OR: 2.53, 95% CI: 1.29- 4.99, p=0.007), and intent to leave (OR: 2.18, 95% CI: 1.06-4.45, p=0.033) increased burnout odds. In family practice clinicians, stress (OR: 13.43 95% CI: 4.90-36.79, p<0.001) also significantly increased burnout odds.
CONCLUSIONS: Burnout was comparable between rural and urban physicians and APCs. Part-time work was associated with decreased burnout in rural and family practice clinicians. Addressing burnout drivers (stress, workload control, chaos) may improve rural work environments, reduce turnover, and aid rural clinician recruitment. Addressing stress may be particularly impactful in family practice.