Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore jo401@cam.ac.uk
  • 2 Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
  • 3 Department of Surgical Intensive Care, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
  • 4 Department of Health Services Research, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
  • 5 School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kota Bharu, Malaysia
  • 6 Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
  • 7 Department of Medicine, Philippine General Hospital, Manila, Philippines
  • 8 Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia, Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital, Central Jakarta, Indonesia
  • 9 Department of Gastroenterology, UBD PAPRSB Institute of Health Sciences, Gadong, Brunei Darussalam
  • 10 Department of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 11 Department of Anaesthesia, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
  • 12 Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, National University Hospital, Singapore
  • 13 Department of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
BMJ Open Gastroenterol, 2020 11;7(1).
PMID: 33148790 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgast-2020-000534

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Clinician burnout is an important occupational hazard that may be exacerbated by the novel COVID-19 pandemic. Within Southeast Asia, burnout in gastroenterology is understudied. The primary objective of this study is to estimate the prevalence of burnout symptoms within gastroenterology, in member states of the Associations of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The secondary objective is to identify work-related stressors that contribute to burnout in ASEAN gastroenterologists.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is an observational study that will use anonymised online surveys to estimate the prevalence of burnout symptoms at two time points: during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and in 2022 (assumed to be after the pandemic). Gastroenterologists from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines and Brunei will be invited to participate in the online survey through their national gastroenterology and endoscopy societies. Burnout will be assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey tool. Supplementary questions will collect demographic and qualitative data. Associations between demographic characteristics and burnout will be tested by multiple regression.

RESULTS: The prevalence of burnout symptoms in gastroenterology during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the baseline prevalence after COVID-19, will be established in the above-mentioned countries. Work-related stressors commonly associated with burnout will be identified, allowing the introduction of preventative measures to reduce burnout in the future.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval was granted by the Singhealth Centralised Institutional Review Board (2020/2709). Results will be submitted for publication.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.