The Impact of Organizational Leadership on Physician Burnout and Satisfaction

Physician burnout is a global issue characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and low levels of personal accomplishment. Recent evidence suggests that organization-directed interventions were more likely to lead to reductions in burnout when compared to physician-directed interventions. More specifically, the leadership behaviors of the direct physician supervisor play a critical role in the well-being of physicians they supervise. As such, the aims of this project are: 1) To improve our understanding of the prevalence of burnout and professional satisfaction of physicians working at the Ottawa Hospital (TOH), and 2) To evaluate the relationship between the leadership qualities of direct physician supervisors (i.e. Division and Department Heads) and the well-being and burnout of their physicians. Specifically, a cross-sectional survey will be completed by physicians at TOH to assess their levels of burnout and satisfaction and the leadership qualities of their direct physician supervisors.