RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Factors impacting health and well-being and the utilisation of supports among Australian doctors in medical specialty training
JF BMJ Leader
JO BMJ Leader
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 26
OP 30
DO 10.1136/leader-2020-000227
VO 5
IS 1
A1 Sotoodeh Abhary
A1 Mari Botti
A1 Anjali Dhulia
A1 Christopher Tham
A1 Erwin Loh
A1 John Catford
YR 2021
UL http://bmjleader.bmj.com/content/5/1/26.abstract
AB Purpose To explore factors impacting the health and well-being of doctors undertaking various specialty training programs, and attitudes towards and utilisation of supports during their training. This is a subset of data from a larger study exploring experiences of doctors in Australian specialty training—a qualitative study of enablers, stressors and supports.Methods In this qualitative study, registrars in specialist training programmes in Australia were invited and interviewed between August 2015 and August 2016. Semistructured open-ended questions were used to explore topics of relevance to their workplace, training, support service utilisation and personal lives. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, deidentified and content and thematic analysis undertaken. Recruitment was ceased when data saturation was reached and no new themes emerged. Emerging key themes are reported in this studyResults 17 participants were recruited (including 1 Indigenous and 1 international medical graduate). A total of six specialty training programmes, across multiple states at various locations across Australia, were represented.Common themes impacting health and well-being regarding workplace and training stressors were identified, including poor supervision, shiftwork and on-call, inability to take sick leave, bullying and harassment, college-related factors, examination preparation and work–life imbalance. Several of these were identified as having actual and perceived negative impacts on patient outcomes and safety.The majority of participants underused existing supports and were unaware of the breadth of support services available to them. Barriers to accessing these services included concerns about their confidentiality and career repercussions.Conclusions This first Australian pilot study highlighted many stressors and enablers in the workplace, training and personal lives of registrars. The underutilisation and barriers to access of support services were discovered. Several multisystem strategies are required and discussed in this report to address these complex issues identified as affecting the health and well-being of junior doctors.Data are available upon reasonable request.