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Factors on working conditions and prolonged fatigue among physicians in Japan

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Abstract

Objective

Fatigue among physicians could affect patients’ safety and physicians’ health. Fatigue could be caused by unfavorable working conditions. However, there have been no studies on the working conditions and fatigue among physicians in Japan. The objective of this study was to determine the factors on working conditions associated with prolonged fatigue among physicians in Japan.

Methods

A questionnaire was mailed to physicians who graduated from one of the medical schools in Japan and who have had more than 3 years of experience in clinical practice. They were asked to assess 10 different aspects of their working conditions using a 5-point Likert scale. Prolonged fatigue was measured using the checklist of individual strength questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the multivariate relationship between the variables and prolonged fatigue. Data from 377 men and 101 women were analyzed in this study.

Results

For both male and female physicians, a harder workload was positively associated and better career satisfaction was negatively associated with prolonged fatigue. Prolonged fatigue was negatively associated with better relationships with other physicians and staff for male physicians and less personal time for female physicians. The adjusted variance in prolonged fatigue related to exposure variables was 26 and 29% in men and in women, respectively.

Conclusions

The result of this study suggested that it is desirable to take these factors into consideration in the management of prolonged fatigue among physicians in Japan.

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge the respondents to this study. This study was partly funded with a grant from the Health Science Center, Sagamihara, Japan. The authors also thank Robert E Brandt for editing the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Kitasato University School of Medicine, 1-15-1, Kitasato, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 228-8555, Japan

    Koji Wada & Yoshiharu Aizawa

  2. Department of Work Systems and Health, The Institute of Industrial Ecological Sciences, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan

    Mayuri Arimatsu & Toshiaki Higashi

  3. Institute for Science of Labour, Kawasaki, Japan

    Toru Yoshikawa

  4. Fukuoka Occupational Health Promotion Center, Fukuoka, Japan

    Susumu Oda

  5. Department of Microbiology, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan

    Hatsumi Taniguchi

Authors
  1. Koji Wada
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  2. Mayuri Arimatsu
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  3. Toru Yoshikawa
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  4. Susumu Oda
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  5. Hatsumi Taniguchi
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  6. Toshiaki Higashi
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  7. Yoshiharu Aizawa
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Koji Wada.

Additional information

Koji Wada has no commercial interest related to this article.

Appendix

Appendix

Personal time

  1. 1.

    Work often encroaches on my personal time.

  2. 2.

    Even on holidays, it is necessary to take calls from the hospital.

  3. 3.

    It is necessary to go to the hospital in case patients whom you are responsible for have any trouble even on off-duty nights.

Relationship with patients

  1. 4.

    I feel a good personal connection with my patients.

  2. 5.

    The gratitude displayed by my patients keeps me working.

Patient care issues

  1. 6.

    I worry about being sued because of medical malpractice.

  2. 7.

    My relationship with patients is more adversarial than it used to be.

  3. 8.

    I am overwhelmed by the needs of my patients.

  4. 9.

    Time pressures keep me from developing good patient relationships.

Relationships with other physicians

  1. 10.

    My physician colleagues are a good source of professional stimulation.

  2. 11.

    I get along with my physician colleagues.

  3. 12.

    My physician colleagues value my unique perspectives in practice.

  4. 13.

    My physician colleagues are an important source of personal support.

Relationships with staff

  1. 14.

    I feel a good personal connection with my nonphysician colleagues.

  2. 15.

    My nonphysician colleagues in my practice are a major source of personal support.

  3. 16.

    Nonphysician colleagues in my practice support my professional judgment.

  4. 17.

    Nonphysicians in my practice reliably carry out clinical instructions.

Income

  1. 18.

    My total salary is fair.

  2. 19.

    I am well compensated compared to physicians in other specialties taking our workloads into account.

Administrative work

  1. 20.

    My role in managing the business aspects of my practice is a burden to me.

  2. 21.

    Paperwork is a burden to me.

Resources

  1. 22.

    Medical suppliers are available when I need them.

  2. 23.

    I have sufficient examination room space to see my patients.

  3. 24.

    There are enough support staff in my practice.

Career satisfaction

  1. 25.

    All things considered, I am satisfied with my career as a physician.

  2. 26.

    I would recommend medicine to others as a career.

Workload

  1. 27.

    Workload is always too much for me.

  2. 28.

    Time pressure is strong.

  3. 29.

    My work is often interrupted by other tasks.

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Wada, K., Arimatsu, M., Yoshikawa, T. et al. Factors on working conditions and prolonged fatigue among physicians in Japan. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 82, 59–66 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-008-0307-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-008-0307-3

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