An assessment of burnout in New Zealand orthopaedic resident medical officers

AIMS: Burnout and fatigue are common in the medical profession. The primary aim was to assess rates of burnout in trainee and nontrainee orthopaedic registrars in New Zealand. A secondary aim was to establish which specific factors are associated with burnout. METHODS: In 2021, a 53-question online survey was sent to New Zealand trainee and non-trainee orthopaedic registrars. The survey included questions addressing demographics, modifiable factors known to lead to burnout, information on respective orthopaedic departments, and how respondents had fared with COVID-19. Registrars also completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey for Medical Personnel (MBI-HSS MP), a 22-question validated survey that is designed to assess the frequency and intensity of perceived burnout among medical personnel. RESULTS: Fifty of 62 (80.6%) trainees and 66 of 70 (estimated number) (94.3%) of non-trainees completed the survey. Trainees and non-trainees both exhibited moderate levels of burnout. The trainee mean score emotional exhaustion (EE) 22.5, depersonalisation (DP) 8.8, personal achievement (PA) 35.9; non-trainee mean score EE 22.4, DP 8.9, PA 35.9. Fifty-two point two percent of trainees and 50% of non-trainees scored in the severe range for at least one of EE or DP. Factors shown to reduce burnout are the presence of a senior colleague (P < 0.001), participation in professional assistance (P=0.049), working in a department with a full complement of staff (P=0.020) and being able to attend health maintenance appointments (P=0.050). CONCLUSION: Our study shows that approximately half of both trainee and non-trainee orthopaedic registrars are exhibiting signs of burnout. This is comparable to other developed nations with a similar healthcare system.