Dataset Information

Burnout and Exposure to Critical Incidents in a Cohort of Emergency Medical Services Workers from Minnesota.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Very little quantitative data on occupational burnout and exposure to critical incidents are available from contemporary United States emergency medical services (EMS) cohorts. Given that burnout has been associated positively with turnover intentions and absenteeism in EMS workers, studies that uncover correlates of burnout may be integral to combating growing concerns around retention in the profession.

Methods

We administered a 167-item electronic survey that included the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and a modified version of the Critical Incident History Questionnaire (n=29 incident types) to paramedics, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), and dispatchers of a single ambulance service. We defined the presence of burnout as a high score on either the emotional exhaustion or depersonalization subscales of the MBI.

Results

Survey respondents who provided regular 911 response at the time of the survey and completed the MBI portion of the survey were included in our analysis (190 paramedics/EMTs, 19 dispatchers; 54% response). The overall prevalence of burnout was 18%, with prevalence reaching 32% among dispatchers. The seven pediatric critical incident types presented in the survey accounted for seven of the top eight rated most difficult to cope with, and severity ratings for pediatric critical incidents did not differ by parental status (all p>0.30). A significant number of respondents reported that they had been threatened with a gun/weapon (43%) or assaulted by a patient (68%) at least once while on duty. Being over the age of 50, a parent, or in a committed relationship was associated with reduced odds of burnout in unadjusted models; however, these associations did not remain statistically significant in multivariate analysis. Increasing tertile of career exposure to critical incidents was not associated with burnout.

Conclusion

Medical dispatchers may be an EMS subgroup particularly susceptible to burnout. These data also demonstrate quantitatively that in this EMS agency, responders find pediatric critical incidents especially distressing and that violence against responders is commonplace. In this study, a simple measure of career exposure to potentially critical incidents was not associated with burnout; however, individual reactions to incidents are heterogeneous, and assessment tools that more accurately enumerate encounters that result in distress are needed.

SUBMITTER: Boland LL

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6225931 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:ObjectiveAlthough burnout has been linked to negative workplace-level effects, prior studies have primarily focused on individuals rather than job-related characteristics. This study sought to evaluate variation in burnout between agencies and to quantify the relationship between burnout and job-related demands/resources among emergency medical services (EMS) professionals.MethodsAn electronic questionnaire was sent to all licensed, practicing EMS professionals in South Carolina. Work-related burnout was measured using the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. Multivariable generalized estimating equations were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for specific job demands and resources while adjusting for confounding variables. Composite scores were used to simultaneously assess the relationship between burnout and job-related demands and resources.ResultsAmong 1271 EMS professionals working at 248 EMS agencies, the median agency-level burnout was 35% (interquartile range [IQR]: 13% to 50%). Job-related demands, including time pressure, were associated with increased burnout. Traditional job-related resources, including pay and benefits, were associated with reduced burnout. Less tangible job resources, including autonomy, clinical performance feedback, social support, and adequate training demonstrated strong associations with reduced burnout. EMS professionals facing high job demands and low job resources demonstrated nearly a 10-fold increase in odds of burnout compared with those exposed to low demands and high resources (adjusted OR [aOR]: 9.50, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.39-14.10). High job resources attenuated the impact of high job demands.ConclusionThe proportion of EMS professionals experiencing burnout varied substantially across EMS agencies. Job resources, including those reflective of organizational culture, were associated with reduced burnout. Collectively, these findings suggest an opportunity to address burnout at the EMS agency level.

Project description:BackgroundThe current study investigates the incidence, aetiology, and outcome of hypoglycaemia of patients without diabetes in the EMS.MethodsThe study was a retrospective cohort study that utilized electronic EMS patient record system (population of one million). All patients encountered by EMS with plasma glucose ≤3.9 mmol/l from 2009 to 2015 were included in the study and hospital records were screened manually to detect possible reasons for hypoglycaemia. Data from the governmental health insurance agency for all residents in Finland was used to reveal the diabetes status of the patients. Survival of the patients was followed from Population register centre up to six years. Serious hypoglycaemia was defined as plasma glucose ≤3.0 mmol/l.ResultsFrom EMS cases with a plasma glucose measurement a total of 5467 hypoglycaemic patients without diabetes were encountered by EMS during the study period with an incidence of 1082 (CI95% 1019-1148) per 100,000 inhabitants per year, corresponding 41.6%, (CI95% 40.8-42.3) of all hypoglycaemic patients. Of those patients, 3856 [71.6%, (CI95% 70.4-72.8)] were transported to hospital and 910 [23.2%, (CI95% 22.0-24.6)] had serious hypoglycaemia. The three main diagnosis groups that appeared in the subsequent hospital treatment associated with hypoglycaemia in all transported cases without diabetes as well with serious hypoglycaemia cases were: alcohol abuse [41.2%, (CI95% 39.7-42.8) and 42.2%, (CI95% 39.0-45.4)], hypothermia [17.2%, (CI95% 16.0-18.4) and 27.4%, (CI95% 24.6-30.4)], and malnutrition [16.9%, (CI95% 15.8-18.1) and 25.1%, (CI95% 22.4-28.0)]. Mortality ranged from 0.6-65.4% depending of admission reason and increased significantly at long-term. Non-Diabetics survival was less than with diabetics, when serious hypoglycaemia was present.DiscussionThe most common possible hypoglycaemia related aetiological causes encountered in the EMS, alcohol abuse, hypothermia, and malnutrition, although frequent are often relatively benign conditions. These possible causes of hypoglycaemia can often be treated at scene or need only short hospital admissions. Hence they are not so prevalent in hospital studies.ConclusionsHypoglycaemia without diabetes is commonly observed among the hypoglycaemic EMS cases. Main causes for it are alcohol abuse, hypothermia, and malnutrition. Mortality correlated with age, higher priority dispatch codes, and plasma glucose rate in multivariate logistic regression analysis. Some of the etiological subgroups carry a markedly high mortality rate.

Project description:Aim: To provide data on the inadequate use of emergency medical transports services (EMTS) in children and underlying contributing factors. Methods: This was a prospective single-center cohort study (01/2017-12/2017) performed at the Saarland University Children's Hospital, Homburg, Germany. Patients ≤20 years of age transported by EMTS for suspected acute illness/trauma were included and proportion of inadequate/adequate EMTS use, underlying contributing factors, and additional costs were analyzed. Results: Three hundred seventy-nine patients (mean age: 9.0 ± 6.3 years; 55.7% male, 44.3% female) were included in this study. The three most common reasons for EMTS use were: central nervous system (30.6%), respiratory system affection (14.0%), and traumas (13.2%). ETMS use was categorized as inadequate depending on physician's experience: senior physician (58.8%), pediatrician (54.9%), resident (52.7%). All three physicians considered 127 (33.5%) cases to be medically indicated for transportation by EMTS, and 177 (46.7%) to be medically not indicated. The following parameters were significantly associated with inadequate EMTS use: non-acute onset of symptoms (OR 2.5), parental perception as non-life-threatening (OR 1.7), and subsequent out-patient treatment (OR 4.0). Conversely, transport by an emergency physician (OR 3.5) and first time parental EMTS call (OR 1.7) were associated with adequate use of EMTS. Moreover, a significant relation existed between maternal, respectively, paternal educational status and inadequate EMTS use (each p = 0.01). Using multiple logistic regression analysis, non-acute onset of symptoms (OR 2.2) was associated with inadequate use of EMTS while first time parental EMTS call (OR 1.8), transport by an emergency physician (OR 3.3), and need for in-patient treatment (OR 4.0) were associated with adequate use of EMTS. Conclusion: A substantial number of pediatric EMTS is medically not indicated. Possibly, specific measures including multifaceted educational efforts may be helpful in reducing unnecessary EMTS use.