Pediatrician Work Hours: 2013-2022

Abstract

Objective: To examine individual variation in total and direct patient care work hours annually across a decade and identify associations of work hours with pediatrician characteristics and measures of work-life balance.

Methods: Using data from the American Academy of Pediatrics Pediatrician Life and Career Experience Study (PLACES), a national longitudinal study, we examined total work and direct patient care hours reported by the same pediatricians each year, 2013-2022. Yearly participation ranged from 75% to 94%. We examined work-hour patterns using mixed-effects linear regression for longitudinal data. We also developed pediatrician profiles based on work hours and direct patient care time and explored associations with multiple measures of work-life balance.

Results: Analyses included 12 864 observations from 1696 pediatricians. Mean hours per week across years were 42.8 for total and 33.3 for direct patient care work. A mixed-effects model examined total work hours. The largest associations showed men working more than women (B = 7.22; 95% CI, 6.04-8.39) and subspecialists from large subspecialties working more than general pediatricians (B = 7.20; 95% CI, 6.11-8.29). There was a slight decrease in total hours found across years (B = -0.12; 95% CI, -0.21 to -0.03). Pediatricians who worked more hours reported lower work-life balance. Pediatricians working a greater portion of their time in direct patient care did not report worse work-life balance.

Conclusions: Direct patient care made up three-fourths of total work hours, and pediatricians reported a slight annual decrease in hours worked. Men, subspecialists, and hospitalists were likely to work more hours, and higher work hours were negatively associated with work-life balance.