Presentation
HE7 - Individual and Organizational Factors Associated with Sonographer Burnout in North America
DescriptionBackground: Burnout in the healthcare workforce is detrimental to clinicians’ physical and mental health, organizations’ efficiency, and patient care. We define burnout as a persistent state of exhaustion resulting from excessive job demands and unmanaged chronic workplace stress. Sonographers are healthcare professionals at high risk for experiencing burnout, particularly due to the required performance of high-strain physical and cognitive work tasks with limited control over the organization and conduct of their job activities. Although surveys of the sonography workforce indicate high rates of burnout in single-site or regional cohorts, few large-scale studies of burnout among the full workforce exist. Thus, we conducted a large survey of North American sonographers to explore burnout. We aimed to describe the overall prevalence of burnout and to identify the individual- and organization-level factors most strongly associated with sonographer burnout.
Methods: We enrolled a cohort of North American sonographers in a longitudinal survey study and collected data on workplace characteristics, health, and well-being using two online questionnaires sent to the study cohort in June and November 2021. We used the Sonography Work Systems model to examine the complex associations among individual- and organization-level factors associated with burnout. Specifically, we measured personal, work-related, and client burnout with the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. Indicator variables included sonographer characteristics, sonography tasks, organizational policies and supports, tools and technologies, environmental factors, and imaging processes. We conducted a series of univariable and multivariable regressions to identify critical factors associated with the three types of burnout in the sonography workforce.
Results: 1,389 sonographers responded to both questionnaires and were included in the data analysis. 62.1% of the workforce reported moderate-to-severe personal burnout, 55.4% reported moderate-to-severe work-related burnout, and 25.5% reported moderate-to-severe levels of client burnout. Personal and work-related burnout had a strong positive correlation (i.e., r(1387)=.85, p<.001), and they were most associated with individual-level factors of lower job satisfaction, lower sleep quality, lower overall health status, younger age, and higher body mass index. Organization-level factors most associated with personal and work-related burnout included lower weekly break hours, reduced ability to take breaks at work, and low supervisor support. Individual- and organization-level factors predicting personal burnout explained 45% of the variability in our final model (R2=.45, F(32,1314)=33.21, p<.001). Individual- and organization-level factors predicting work-related burnout explained 52% of the variability in our final model (R2=.52, F(31,1255)=43.32, p<.001). However, higher client burnout was only associated with lower job satisfaction, and all factors included in our final model of client burnout explained only 25% of the variability (R2=.25, F(19,1332)=23.60, p<.001).
Implications: Our findings indicate that personal and work-related burnout are substantial issues in the sonography workforce. Clinicians, administrators, and other stakeholders may consider approaches to reducing and managing burnout in sonography workforces. In particular, organizations may consider how to address factors such as scheduling, individual sonographer health, and organizational support to reduce the prevalence and mitigate the impacts of burnout on physical and mental health, organizations’ efficiency, and patient care.
Methods: We enrolled a cohort of North American sonographers in a longitudinal survey study and collected data on workplace characteristics, health, and well-being using two online questionnaires sent to the study cohort in June and November 2021. We used the Sonography Work Systems model to examine the complex associations among individual- and organization-level factors associated with burnout. Specifically, we measured personal, work-related, and client burnout with the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. Indicator variables included sonographer characteristics, sonography tasks, organizational policies and supports, tools and technologies, environmental factors, and imaging processes. We conducted a series of univariable and multivariable regressions to identify critical factors associated with the three types of burnout in the sonography workforce.
Results: 1,389 sonographers responded to both questionnaires and were included in the data analysis. 62.1% of the workforce reported moderate-to-severe personal burnout, 55.4% reported moderate-to-severe work-related burnout, and 25.5% reported moderate-to-severe levels of client burnout. Personal and work-related burnout had a strong positive correlation (i.e., r(1387)=.85, p<.001), and they were most associated with individual-level factors of lower job satisfaction, lower sleep quality, lower overall health status, younger age, and higher body mass index. Organization-level factors most associated with personal and work-related burnout included lower weekly break hours, reduced ability to take breaks at work, and low supervisor support. Individual- and organization-level factors predicting personal burnout explained 45% of the variability in our final model (R2=.45, F(32,1314)=33.21, p<.001). Individual- and organization-level factors predicting work-related burnout explained 52% of the variability in our final model (R2=.52, F(31,1255)=43.32, p<.001). However, higher client burnout was only associated with lower job satisfaction, and all factors included in our final model of client burnout explained only 25% of the variability (R2=.25, F(19,1332)=23.60, p<.001).
Implications: Our findings indicate that personal and work-related burnout are substantial issues in the sonography workforce. Clinicians, administrators, and other stakeholders may consider approaches to reducing and managing burnout in sonography workforces. In particular, organizations may consider how to address factors such as scheduling, individual sonographer health, and organizational support to reduce the prevalence and mitigate the impacts of burnout on physical and mental health, organizations’ efficiency, and patient care.
Event Type
Poster Presentation
TimeTuesday, March 264:45pm - 6:15pm CDT
LocationSalon C
Digital Health
Simulation and Education
Hospital Environments
Medical and Drug Delivery Devices
Patient Safety Research and Initiatives