An Assessment of the Well-Being of Physicians Working in a Family Physician’s Team During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Lithuania

Abstract

Purpose: Improving the well-being of physicians and the level of trust in their work are key aspects in ensuring their motivation and satisfaction during the anxious and uncertain times of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study is to investigate the links between different dimensions of the well-being of physicians during the pandemic. Methods: An anonymous survey of physicians (n=191) working in a family physician’s team was carried out from June 21, 2021 to September 17, 2021. The data analysis involved the X2 homogeneity criterion with Yates correction, the Mann-Whitney criterion, and the Kruskal-Wallis criterion. Results: The majority of physicians indicated the following issues: concern about the pandemic (91.1%); a decrease in their quality of life as a result of the pandemic (83.3%); professional burnout (75.7%); and dissatisfaction with the management of the pandemic (55%). It was observed that the duration of employment in their current institution is related to the physicians’ emotional well-being, quality of life, professional burnout, and satisfaction. Emotional wellbeing was found to depend on the form of ownership of their current health care institution. Quality of life and professional burnout were found to be dependent on the respondent’s number of years of work experience, whilst their assessment of personal well-being was dependent on the respondent’s age and gender. Conclusions: Physicians’ assessment of their well-being depends on certain sociodemographic characteristics. In critical situations, intervention measures for improving their well-being should focus on improving emotional well-being and quality of life, reducing the occurrence of professional burnout, and increasing satisfaction.