Burnout Among Primary Care Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Objective: To measure the prevalence of burnout among healthcare workers (HCWs) in primary care during the COVID-19 pandemic and to understand the association between burnout, job-person fit, and perceptions of the pandemic.

Methods: We surveyed 147 HCWs (73% response rate) in two clinics in the summer of 2020 on their burnout, job-person fit, perceptions of the pandemic, and demographic/job characteristics. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to explore relationships between these variables.

Results: Forty-three percent of HCWs reported burnout. Lower HCW burnout was associated with better job-person fit in the areas of recognition or appreciation at work (odds ratio [OR] 0.26, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.10 to 0.67) and congruent worker-organization goals and values (OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.11 to 0.76).

Conclusions: Working environments with better job-person fit may be key to reducing HCW burnout even after the current crisis.