Team and leadership factors and their relationship to burnout in emergency medicine during COVID‐19: A 3‐wave cross‐sectional study

Abstract Objective We examined the relationship of team and leadership attributes with clinician feelings of burnout over time during the corona virus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic. Methods We surveyed emergency medicine personnel at 2 California hospitals at 3 time points: July 2020, December 20...

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Main Authors: Aditi Bhanja, Tuna Hayirli, Nicholas Stark, James Hardy, Christopher R. Peabody, Michaela Kerrissey
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2022-08-01
Series:Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians Open
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/emp2.12761
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author Aditi Bhanja
Tuna Hayirli
Nicholas Stark
James Hardy
Christopher R. Peabody
Michaela Kerrissey
author_facet Aditi Bhanja
Tuna Hayirli
Nicholas Stark
James Hardy
Christopher R. Peabody
Michaela Kerrissey
author_sort Aditi Bhanja
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Objective We examined the relationship of team and leadership attributes with clinician feelings of burnout over time during the corona virus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic. Methods We surveyed emergency medicine personnel at 2 California hospitals at 3 time points: July 2020, December 2020, and November 2021. We assessed 3 team and leadership attributes using previously validated psychological scales (joint problem‐solving, process clarity, and leader inclusiveness) and burnout using a validated scale. Using logistic regression models we determined the associations between team and leadership attributes and burnout, controlling for covariates. Results We obtained responses from 328, 356, and 260 respondents in waves 1, 2, and 3, respectively (mean response rate = 49.52%). The median response for feelings of burnout increased over time (2.0, interquartile range [IQR] = 2.0–3.0 in wave 1 to 3.0, IQR = 2.0–3.0 in wave 3). At all time points, greater process clarity was associated with lower odds of feeling burnout (odds ratio [OR] [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.36 [0.19, 0.66] in wave 1 to 0.24 [0.10, 0.61] in wave 3). In waves 2 and 3, greater joint problem‐solving was associated with lower odds of feeling burnout (OR [95% CI] = 0.61 [0.42, 0.89], 0.54 [0.33, 0.88]). Leader inclusiveness was also associated with lower odds of feeling burnout (OR [95% CI] = 0.45 [0.27, 0.74] in wave 1 to 0.41 [0.24, 0.69] in wave 3). Conclusions Process clarity, joint problem‐solving, and leader inclusiveness are associated with less clinician burnout during the COVID‐19 pandemic, pointing to potential benefits of focusing on team and leadership factors during crisis. Leader inclusiveness may wane over time, requiring effort to sustain.
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spelling doaj-art-2f3fba40b2064c1ea33a06c98ff433902025-08-20T02:54:46ZengElsevierJournal of the American College of Emergency Physicians Open2688-11522022-08-0134n/an/a10.1002/emp2.12761Team and leadership factors and their relationship to burnout in emergency medicine during COVID‐19: A 3‐wave cross‐sectional studyAditi Bhanja0Tuna Hayirli1Nicholas Stark2James Hardy3Christopher R. Peabody4Michaela Kerrissey5Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health Boston Massachusetts USAHarvard Medical School Boston Massachusetts USADepartment of Emergency Medicine University of California San Francisco California USADepartment of Emergency Medicine University of California San Francisco California USADepartment of Emergency Medicine University of California San Francisco California USAHarvard TH Chan School of Public Health Boston Massachusetts USAAbstract Objective We examined the relationship of team and leadership attributes with clinician feelings of burnout over time during the corona virus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic. Methods We surveyed emergency medicine personnel at 2 California hospitals at 3 time points: July 2020, December 2020, and November 2021. We assessed 3 team and leadership attributes using previously validated psychological scales (joint problem‐solving, process clarity, and leader inclusiveness) and burnout using a validated scale. Using logistic regression models we determined the associations between team and leadership attributes and burnout, controlling for covariates. Results We obtained responses from 328, 356, and 260 respondents in waves 1, 2, and 3, respectively (mean response rate = 49.52%). The median response for feelings of burnout increased over time (2.0, interquartile range [IQR] = 2.0–3.0 in wave 1 to 3.0, IQR = 2.0–3.0 in wave 3). At all time points, greater process clarity was associated with lower odds of feeling burnout (odds ratio [OR] [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.36 [0.19, 0.66] in wave 1 to 0.24 [0.10, 0.61] in wave 3). In waves 2 and 3, greater joint problem‐solving was associated with lower odds of feeling burnout (OR [95% CI] = 0.61 [0.42, 0.89], 0.54 [0.33, 0.88]). Leader inclusiveness was also associated with lower odds of feeling burnout (OR [95% CI] = 0.45 [0.27, 0.74] in wave 1 to 0.41 [0.24, 0.69] in wave 3). Conclusions Process clarity, joint problem‐solving, and leader inclusiveness are associated with less clinician burnout during the COVID‐19 pandemic, pointing to potential benefits of focusing on team and leadership factors during crisis. Leader inclusiveness may wane over time, requiring effort to sustain.https://doi.org/10.1002/emp2.12761
spellingShingle Aditi Bhanja
Tuna Hayirli
Nicholas Stark
James Hardy
Christopher R. Peabody
Michaela Kerrissey
Team and leadership factors and their relationship to burnout in emergency medicine during COVID‐19: A 3‐wave cross‐sectional study
Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians Open
title Team and leadership factors and their relationship to burnout in emergency medicine during COVID‐19: A 3‐wave cross‐sectional study
title_full Team and leadership factors and their relationship to burnout in emergency medicine during COVID‐19: A 3‐wave cross‐sectional study
title_fullStr Team and leadership factors and their relationship to burnout in emergency medicine during COVID‐19: A 3‐wave cross‐sectional study
title_full_unstemmed Team and leadership factors and their relationship to burnout in emergency medicine during COVID‐19: A 3‐wave cross‐sectional study
title_short Team and leadership factors and their relationship to burnout in emergency medicine during COVID‐19: A 3‐wave cross‐sectional study
title_sort team and leadership factors and their relationship to burnout in emergency medicine during covid 19 a 3 wave cross sectional study
url https://doi.org/10.1002/emp2.12761
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