Physicians' view of their work environment and organisation

Abstract

Background: The objective of this study was to assess physicians' perception of their work, organisation and professional development.

Methods: All major disciplines at a major regional hospital were studied. Participants responded to a structured questionnaire concerning broad aspects of physicians' work. The response rate was approximately 78%, with 356 respondents.

Results: The results show that even though physicians are overall very satisfied with their work, they list high workload, lack of influence on daily work and work processes as dissatisfactory. Skills utilisation and development are some major areas for improvement. Physicians that were aware of the overall mission statement for their hospital were more satisfied with and informed about departmental goals. Perceived organisational efficiency and leadership qualities were important determinants of perceived workload and work climate.

Conclusions: Stress among physicians is a growing occupational health concern, impacting negatively on patient care. In this article important individual and organisational factors related to physician stress are identified and suggestions to assess stress and intervene are provided.