The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Burnout in Palliative Care Providers Delivering Supportive Care to Cancer Patients

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic presented a myriad of challenges for palliative care providers delivering supportive cancer care, perhaps making them more vulnerable to burnout. This study aimed to measure the prevalence of burnout among members of the Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer (MASSC) Palliative Care Study Group, as well as explore contributing personal, occupational and COVID-19 related variables during the pandemic. This study utilised the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) to measure self-reported burnout symptoms for the first time in a similar population. Hence, this study also aimed to explore the usefulness of this newly developed instrument. A total of 71 participants from 23 countries responded to the survey. Of those, most were female (53.5%), physicians (50.7%) and worked in a public hospital (47.9%). The majority of respondents (80%) experienced an average level of burnout, and 14% a high to very high level. Correlation analysis found weak, negative correlations between total burnout scores and age, gender, professional experience and increased working hours, while quality of life was moderately, positively correlated with reduced burnout scores. Further investigation using bootstrap regression analysis revealed quality of life to be a significant predictor of burnout. Regarding psychometric properties, Cronbach’s alpha ranged from 0.80–0.95, demonstrating good to excellent internal consistency of the BAT. Taken together, burnout was experienced to varying degrees among palliative care providers delivering supportive cancer care, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on burnout is still unclear. This paper offers important methodological considerations for future researchers using the BAT.