O&P researchers conducted a study to quantify burnout levels in O&P clinicians and explore the factors that contribute to it. They found that approximately 78 percent of respondents experienced burnout in at least one of three domains, with emotional exhaustion being the most prevalent.
Participants first completed a survey incorporating the Abbreviated Maslach Burnout Inventory aMBI to assess burnout incidence as it correlates to the three domains—emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. Survey participants could then elect to participate in semistructured interviews for qualitative insight and thematic analysis in which the data was analyzed for correlations between survey responses and personal factors gathered from the interviews.
The data indicated that men experienced higher rates of depersonalization than women. From the interviews, four overarching themes emerged: organizational and workload pressures, financial and career strain, individual coping and protective strategies, and burnout experience and trajectory.
The authors concluded that the findings highlighted the contribution of organizational or workload pressures, financial and career strain, coping strategies, and the progressive nature of burnout, which is influenced by both individual and systemic factors. They suggested that further research into interventions to address burnout is critical for clinician well-being and the sustainability of the profession.
The study, “Empathy to exhaustion: A mixed-methods qualitative study exploring burnout in orthotic and prosthetic clinicians,” was published in Prosthetics & Orthotics International.
