Keeping the Flame Alive: Burnout and Perception of Value in the Role of Neurology Residency Program Director
Alissa Higinbotham1, Katy Peters2
1Department of Neurology, Parkinson's disease and Movement Disorder Division, University of Virginia, 2Department of Neurology, Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, Duke University
Objective:
To determine the level of burnout amongst adult and pediatric neurology residency program directors (PDs), and to determine whether a positive perception of value by one’s institution is associated with lower-level burnout.
Background:
Although the question, are PDs more burnt out than their physician colleagues is an important one, the existing literature is limited with mixed results in other specialties. To date, there are no dedicated studies that have specifically assessed burnout in neurology residency PDs. A study of residency and fellowship directors across 37 specialties found neurology residency PDs had the highest work-related Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) score (63.0 points on a 100-point scale), which may reflect the high-level burnout in neurology in general. Indeed, the AAN Burnout Task Force reported burnout in 57% of academic practice neurologists. Burnout is clearly a problem amongst neurologists, but we hypothesize that the role of neurology residency PD is associated with lower-level burnout, and that feeling valued in the PD role is a factor associated with less burnout.
Design/Methods:
In an IRB-approved study, 184 neurology residency PDs were emailed an anonymous survey consisting of the CBI and 8 other items. Data were analyzed via ordinal logistic regression and binomial frequency methods.
Results:
85 PDs (46%) responded to the survey. The average±SEM personal, work-related, and patient-related CBI scores were 41.8±2.2, 39.7±2.2, and 32.4±2.2, respectively. Higher personal and work-related CBI scores were associated with less positive perception of value (proportional OR: 1.03; 95% CI: [1.01, 1.06],p=0.004 and proportional OR: 1.04; 95% CI: [1.01, 1.06], p=0.003, respectively).
Conclusions:
High-level burnout is less frequent amongst neurology residency PDs compared to academic practice neurologists in the literature. A high percentage of neurology residency PDs reported feeling valued in their role by their institution which was associated with lower-level burnout scores and may represent a key target for reflection and burnout intervention.