Intention to Leave Emergency Medicine: Mid-career Women Are at Increased Risk
Introduction: Burnout is prevalent among emergency physicians and may cause physicians to consider leaving the practice of emergency medicine (EM). This study sought to determine whether there is a gender difference in reporting burnout and seriously considering leaving the specialty of EM, and seco...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
eScholarship Publishing, University of California
2020-08-01
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| Series: | Western Journal of Emergency Medicine |
| Online Access: | https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1s08f9bh |
| _version_ | 1818159142788923392 |
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| author | Michelle D. Lall Sarah M. Perman Nidhi Garg Nina Kohn Kristy Whyte Alexa Gips Tracy Madsen Jill M. Baren Judith Linden |
| author_facet | Michelle D. Lall Sarah M. Perman Nidhi Garg Nina Kohn Kristy Whyte Alexa Gips Tracy Madsen Jill M. Baren Judith Linden |
| author_sort | Michelle D. Lall |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: Burnout is prevalent among emergency physicians and may cause physicians to consider leaving the practice of emergency medicine (EM). This study sought to determine whether there is a gender difference in reporting burnout and seriously considering leaving the specialty of EM, and secondarily to explore the factors reported as contributing to burnout. Methods: This was a secondary analysis of the 2014 American Board of Emergency Medicine Longitudinal Survey of Emergency Physicians. We used multiple logistic regression to determine which factors were associated with reporting serious consideration of leaving EM, when stratified by years in practice and adjusting for individual, departmental, and institutional factors. Results: The response rate was 82%, (n = 868); 22.6% (194) were female and 77.4% (664) were males; and 83.9% (733) White. The mean age of men responding was significantly higher than women (52.7±11.9 vs. 44.9±10.4, p<0.001). Overall, there were no significant gender differences in reporting having had serious thoughts of leaving EM in either unmatched or age-matched analyses. More women reported that burnout was a significant problem, while men more often were equivocal as to whether it was a problem. When stratified by years in practice, mid-career women had a seven-fold increase in the odds ratio (OR) of seriously considered leaving EM, compared to men of similar years in practice (OR 7.07, 95% confidence interval, 2.45–20.39). Autonomy at work, control over working conditions, fair compensation, personal reward, and a sense of ownership were factors associated with a lower rate of reporting considering leaving EM. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the intention to leave EM is not more prevalent in women. However, mid-career women more often reported seriously considering leaving the specialty than mid-career men. Further research on the factors behind this finding in mid-career women in EM is needed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T15:41:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6e5b340d250644bcbb619830f85aed7b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1936-9018 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T15:41:17Z |
| publishDate | 2020-08-01 |
| publisher | eScholarship Publishing, University of California |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Western Journal of Emergency Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-6e5b340d250644bcbb619830f85aed7b2022-12-22T00:59:49ZengeScholarship Publishing, University of CaliforniaWestern Journal of Emergency Medicine1936-90182020-08-0121510.5811/westjem.2020.5.47313wjem-21-1131Intention to Leave Emergency Medicine: Mid-career Women Are at Increased RiskMichelle D. Lall0Sarah M. Perman1Nidhi Garg2Nina Kohn3Kristy Whyte4Alexa Gips5Tracy Madsen6Jill M. Baren7Judith Linden8Emory University School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Atlanta, GeorgiaUniversity of Colorado School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Denver, ColoradoHofstra/Northwell Health, Department of Emergency Medicine, Long Island, New YorkNorthwell Health, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Long Island, New YorkVituity/DeKalb Emergency Physicians, Emory Decatur Hospital, Emory Hillandale Hospital, Atlanta, GeorgiaUniversity of Colorado School of Medicine, Department of Hospice & Palliative Medicine, Denver, ColoradoAlpert Medical School, Brown University, Department of Emergency Medicine, Providence, Rhode IslandPerelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Department of Emergency Medicine, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaBoston University Medical Center, Department of Emergency Medicine, Boston, MassachusettsIntroduction: Burnout is prevalent among emergency physicians and may cause physicians to consider leaving the practice of emergency medicine (EM). This study sought to determine whether there is a gender difference in reporting burnout and seriously considering leaving the specialty of EM, and secondarily to explore the factors reported as contributing to burnout. Methods: This was a secondary analysis of the 2014 American Board of Emergency Medicine Longitudinal Survey of Emergency Physicians. We used multiple logistic regression to determine which factors were associated with reporting serious consideration of leaving EM, when stratified by years in practice and adjusting for individual, departmental, and institutional factors. Results: The response rate was 82%, (n = 868); 22.6% (194) were female and 77.4% (664) were males; and 83.9% (733) White. The mean age of men responding was significantly higher than women (52.7±11.9 vs. 44.9±10.4, p<0.001). Overall, there were no significant gender differences in reporting having had serious thoughts of leaving EM in either unmatched or age-matched analyses. More women reported that burnout was a significant problem, while men more often were equivocal as to whether it was a problem. When stratified by years in practice, mid-career women had a seven-fold increase in the odds ratio (OR) of seriously considered leaving EM, compared to men of similar years in practice (OR 7.07, 95% confidence interval, 2.45–20.39). Autonomy at work, control over working conditions, fair compensation, personal reward, and a sense of ownership were factors associated with a lower rate of reporting considering leaving EM. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the intention to leave EM is not more prevalent in women. However, mid-career women more often reported seriously considering leaving the specialty than mid-career men. Further research on the factors behind this finding in mid-career women in EM is needed.https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1s08f9bh |
| spellingShingle | Michelle D. Lall Sarah M. Perman Nidhi Garg Nina Kohn Kristy Whyte Alexa Gips Tracy Madsen Jill M. Baren Judith Linden Intention to Leave Emergency Medicine: Mid-career Women Are at Increased Risk Western Journal of Emergency Medicine |
| title | Intention to Leave Emergency Medicine: Mid-career Women Are at Increased Risk |
| title_full | Intention to Leave Emergency Medicine: Mid-career Women Are at Increased Risk |
| title_fullStr | Intention to Leave Emergency Medicine: Mid-career Women Are at Increased Risk |
| title_full_unstemmed | Intention to Leave Emergency Medicine: Mid-career Women Are at Increased Risk |
| title_short | Intention to Leave Emergency Medicine: Mid-career Women Are at Increased Risk |
| title_sort | intention to leave emergency medicine mid career women are at increased risk |
| url | https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1s08f9bh |
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