title: Factors associated with Taiwan anesthesiologists' intention to leave anesthesia practice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Anesthesiologists in Taiwan had the heaviest workload compared with other Taiwanese specialists. In a previous study, anesthesia-related mortality was >12 times the rate reported in the USA, UK, and Japan. Nine percent of Taiwanese anesthesiologists left their jobs to work as general practitioners in clinics. This study aims to assess the current working conditions of anesthesiologists in Taiwan and their satisfaction with their occupation, and to identify the factors associated with the intentions of anesthesiologists in Taiwan to leave anesthesia practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  A self-reported questionnaire was completed by 474 attending anesthesiologists in Taiwan. The Chi-square test was used for categorical variables and the t test for continuous variables. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to identify the factors significantly associated with the willingness of anesthesiologists to continue in anesthesiology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sample anesthesiologists worked 59.9 hours/week, however a reasonable length of time to work is 49.6 hours/week. They simultaneously covered four operating rooms daily, but three rooms is considered reasonable. Surprisingly, 54.9% of them expressed their unwillingness to practice clinical anesthesia. Those anesthesiologists dissatisfied with their overall working conditions had a substantially increased odds ratio (6.96) of deterring continuing to practice in anesthesia. Furthermore, an inability to take care of the family and a low salary significantly decreased the willingness to practice in anesthesia (odds ratio: 0.42 and 0.38, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Unfavorable working conditions were considered to lower the satisfaction of anesthesiologists in Taiwan. In particular, an inability to take care of the family and a low salary were major factors in deterring anesthesiologists in Taiwan from continuing in anesthesia.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan; Division of Public Affairs, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ju-O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; Department of Public Health, College of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chung-Yi
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Senyeong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Life Science, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Te-Chun
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Galveston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: James F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Arens
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital/National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Anesthesiology, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: stho@vghtpe.gov.tw.
authors.forename: Shung-Tai
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Ho
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000776:Anesthesiology; D002321:Career Choice; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009873:Operating Rooms; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D057566:Self Report; D013624:Taiwan; D016526:Workload
keywords: anesthesiologists; anesthetics; satisfaction and work factor; workload