Department of Public Health, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima city, Tokushima, Japan.
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima city, Tokushima, Japan.
PLoS One. 2024 Nov 18;19(11):e0311653. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0311653. eCollection 2024.
This study aimed to determine the actual working conditions, including working hours and desired future working styles of hospital pediatricians and obstetricians/gynecologists (OB/GYNs) in Tokushima Prefecture.
This cross-sectional study used a self-administered questionnaire. Pediatricians and OB/GYNs (n = 96) working at 14 hospitals in Tokushima Prefecture were surveyed. The questionnaire included items related to working hours, working status, number of medical institutions, task-shifting/task-sharing status, and preferred work style. Factors associated with work hours were analyzed.
Approximately 40% and 10% of pediatricians and OB/GYNs worked ≥60 h/week and ≥80 h/week, respectively. Their weekly working hours were significantly positively associated with the number of nights and holidays worked and concurrent medical facilities they worked at. Multiple regression models showed that weekly working hours were significantly associated with working at night and day-off duties and the number of working medical institutions being worked at concurrently. Pediatricians and OB/GYNs who worked ≥60 h/week were not implementing a "multiple attending physician system" or "on-call system," and task-shifting/task-sharing was inadequate. A significantly higher proportion of physicians who worked long hours (≥60 h/week or ≥80 h/week) wanted to reduce the number of night and day-off duties and work hours compared with those who did not.
The results of this study suggest that many pediatricians and OB/GYNs work long hours, and it is essential to improve their work environment, including task-shifting/task-sharing. Further enhanced recruitment and retention of hospital pediatricians and OB/GYNs is required. A detailed and large-scale study of pediatricians and OB/GYNs' working environments is essential in the future.
本研究旨在确定德岛县儿科医生和妇产科医生（OB/GYN）的实际工作条件，包括工作时间和未来期望的工作方式。
本横断面研究使用了自填式问卷。对德岛县 14 家医院的 96 名儿科医生和 OB/GYN 进行了调查。问卷内容包括工作时间、工作状态、医疗机构数量、任务转移/任务分担状况以及偏好的工作方式等相关项目。分析了与工作时间相关的因素。
约 40%和 10%的儿科医生和 OB/GYN 每周工作≥60 小时和≥80 小时。他们每周的工作时间与夜间和节假日工作天数以及同时工作的医疗机构数量呈显著正相关。多元回归模型显示，每周工作时间与夜间和休息日工作以及同时工作的医疗机构数量显著相关。每周工作时间≥60 小时的儿科医生和 OB/GYN 并未实施“多主治医生系统”或“值班系统”，任务转移/任务分担也不足。与不工作时间长（每周≥60 小时或≥80 小时）的医生相比，工作时间长的医生（每周≥60 小时或≥80 小时）更希望减少夜间和休息日的工作天数和工作时间。
本研究结果表明，许多儿科医生和 OB/GYN 工作时间长，改善他们的工作环境，包括任务转移/任务分担，至关重要。需要进一步加强医院儿科医生和 OB/GYN 的招聘和留用。未来需要对儿科医生和 OB/GYN 的工作环境进行详细和大规模的研究。
