title: Burnout in United States academic chairs of radiation oncology programs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aims of this study were to determine the self-reported prevalence of burnout in chairs of academic radiation oncology departments, to identify factors contributing to burnout, and to compare the prevalence of burnout with that seen in other academic chair groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  An anonymous online survey was administered to the membership of the Society of Chairs of Academic Radiation Oncology Programs (SCAROP). Burnout was measured with the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Questionnaires were returned from 66 of 87 chairs (76% response rate). Seventy-nine percent of respondents reported satisfaction with their current positions. Common major stressors were budget deficits and human resource issues. One-quarter of chairs reported that it was at least moderately likely that they would step down in the next 1 to 2 years; these individuals demonstrated significantly higher emotional exhaustion. Twenty-five percent of respondents met the MBI-HSS criteria for low burnout, 75% for moderate burnout, and none for high burnout. Group MBI-HSS subscale scores demonstrated a pattern of moderate emotional exhaustion, low depersonalization, and moderate personal accomplishment, comparing favorably with other specialties.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study of burnout in radiation oncology chairs with a high response rate and using a validated psychometric tool. Radiation oncology chairs share similar major stressors to other chair groups, but they demonstrate relatively high job satisfaction and lower burnout. Emotional exhaustion may contribute to the anticipated turnover in coming years. Further efforts addressing individual and institutional factors associated with burnout may improve the relationship with work of chairs and other department members.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington.
authors.forename: Aaron S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Kusano
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Medicine, Knight Cancer Institute/Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon. Electronic address: thomasch@ohsu.edu.
authors.forename: Charles R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bonner
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology & Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Theodore L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: DeWeese
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Silvia C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Formenti
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Stephen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
authors.forename: Theodore S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Lawrence
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Ilinois.
authors.forename: Bharat B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Mittal
mesh_terms: D000288:Administrative Personnel / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002017:Budgets; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010563:Personnel Turnover; D015995:Prevalence; D018787:Radiation Oncology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D057566:Self Report; D013192:Staff Development; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology