title: Burnout among physicians in palliative care: Impact of clinical settings.
abstract: Burnout syndrome is a work-related professional distress. Palliative care physicians often have to deal with complex end-of-life situations and are at risk of presenting with burnout syndrome, which has been little studied in this population. Our study aims to identify the impact of clinical settings (in a palliative care unit (PCU) or on a palliative care mobile team (PCMT)) on palliative care physicians.
  
  
  
  We undertook a cross-sectional study using a questionnaire that included the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), and we gathered sociodemographic and professional data. The questionnaire was sent to all 590 physicians working in palliative care in France between July of 2012 and February of 2013.
  
  
  
  The response rate was 61, 8% after three reminders. Some 27 (9%) participants showed high emotional exhaustion, 12 (4%) suffered from a high degree of depersonalization, and 71 (18%) had feelings of low personal accomplishment. Physicians working on a PCMT tended (p = 0.051) to be more likely to suffer from emotional exhaustion than their colleagues. Physicians working on a PCMT worked on smaller teams (fewer physicians, p < 0.001; fewer nonphysicians, p < 0.001). They spent less time doing research (p = 0.019), had fewer resources (p = 0.004), and their expertise seemed to be underrecognized by their colleagues (p = 0.023).
  
  
  
  The prevalence of burnout in palliative care physicians was low and in fact lower than that reported in other populations (e.g., oncologists). Working on a palliative care mobile team can be a more risky situation, associated with a lack of medical and paramedical staff.
authors.affiliation: Department of Palliative Care,Centre Hospitalier de Lyon-Sud,Hospices Civils de Lyon,Pierre-Bénite,France.
authors.forename: Soazic
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dréano-Hartz
authors.affiliation: Department of Palliative Care,Centre Hospitalier de Lyon-Sud,Hospices Civils de Lyon,Pierre-Bénite,France.
authors.forename: Wadih
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-7740-1476
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Rhondali
authors.affiliation: Department of Palliative Care,Centre Hospitalier de Lyon-Sud,Hospices Civils de Lyon,Pierre-Bénite,France.
authors.forename: Mathilde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ledoux
authors.affiliation: Department of Palliative Care,Centre Hospitalier de Lyon-Sud,Hospices Civils de Lyon,Pierre-Bénite,France.
authors.forename: Murielle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruer
authors.affiliation: Pôle IMER (Information Médicale Evaluation Recherche),Hospices Civils de Lyon,Lyon,France.
authors.forename: Julien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Berthiller
authors.affiliation: Pôle IMER (Information Médicale Evaluation Recherche),Hospices Civils de Lyon,Lyon,France.
authors.forename: Anne-Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Schott
authors.affiliation: Department of Palliative Care,Centre Hospitalier de Lyon-Sud,Hospices Civils de Lyon,Pierre-Bénite,France.
authors.forename: Léa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Monsarrat
authors.affiliation: Department of Palliative Care,Centre Hospitalier de Lyon-Sud,Hospices Civils de Lyon,Pierre-Bénite,France.
authors.forename: Marilène
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Filbet
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008952:Mobile Health Units; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000523:psychology*; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Burnout; Clinical settings; Maslach Burnout Inventory; Palliative care physicians