Burnout syndrome in pediatric urology: A perspective during the COVID-19 pandemic — Ibero-American survey

Burnout syndrome is a major cause of decreased life quality, mental health, and productivity for physicians. It is strongly related to work overload and has been a scarcely studied topic in pediatric urology. During the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities’ recommendations have led to big changes in pediatric urology practice worldwide. This study aimed to evaluate the level of burnout in Ibero-American pediatric urologists (IPUs) during this pandemic. A cross-sectional study was conducted by applying an electronic survey during the COVID-19 pandemic peak to members of the two major associations of pediatric urology in Ibero-America (the Ibero-American Society of Pediatric Urology [SIUP] and the Brazilian School of Pediatric Urology [BSPU]) to evaluate demographic, pre-pandemic, and pandemic data. Burnout levels were assessed using the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) questionnaire. A response rate of 40% was obtained (182 out of 455 IPU respondents). Participants were from 14 different countries in Ibero-America and 75.4% were male. Data showed that during the pandemic there was a significant decrease in weekly workload, that is: > 40 h per week (h/w) (91.4%–44.6%, p 6 h/w (94.9%–45.1%%, p 40 h by week91.4%44.6%Surgical time >6 h by week94.9%45.1%∗= by Copenhagen Burnout Inventory questionnaire (CBI).Burnout syndrome in pediatric urology: a perspective during the COVID-19 pandemic — Ibero-American Survey