Factors associated with burnout among medical laboratory professionals in Ontario, Canada: An exploratory study during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to examine factors associated with burnout among medical laboratory technologists (MLT) in Ontario, Canada during the second wave of coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

METHODS

We employed a cross-sectional design and used a self-reported questionnaire designed for MLT in Ontario, Canada.

RESULTS

There were 441 (47.5% response rate) MLT who were included in the analytic sample. Most of the respondents were women, with a mean age of 43.1 and a standard deviation of 11.7. The prevalence of experiencing burnout was 72.3% for MLT. In the adjusted demographic model, those ≥50 (OR = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.22-0.59) were 0.36 or about one third as likely to experience burnout as those under 50. Similarly, those who held a university degree were less likely to experience burnout compared with high school degree (OR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.15-0.79). In the adjusted occupational model, high quantitative demands (OR = 2.15, 95% CI: 1.21-3.88), high work pace (OR = 2.21, 95% CI: 1.25-3.98), high job insecurity (OR = 2.56, 95% CI: 1.39-4.82), high work life conflict (OR = 5.08, 95% CI: 2.75-9.64) and high job satisfaction (OR = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.20-0.88), high self-rated health (OR = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.17-0.56) were significant.

CONCLUSION

This study provides preliminary evidence regarding the factors associated with burnout in MLT. Additional research is needed to understand their relationship with workers health and well-being and in the delivery of health services.