Burnout Among Oncology Physician Assistants (Pas) From 2015 To 2019.

11009 Background: Changes in the demand and delivery of healthcare have led to a significant increase in employment of PAs in Oncology (Onc). These changes may also increase PAs risk of burnout, a syndrome characterized by a high level of emotional exhaustion (EE) and/or depersonalization (DP). This study was initiated to explore temporal changes in burnout & the PA workforce. Methods: Using the same methods from 2015, a national survey of Onc PAs was conducted in 2019. Survey items (n = 74) examined personal and professional characteristics, collaborative practice (CP), team structure, organizational context (OC), and burnout. OC was assessed using Areas of Worklife Survey (AWS) domains: workload, control, reward, community, fairness, & values. Low AWS domain score indicated a workplace mismatch (WM). Burnout was assessed with the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Change in burnout was examined with repeated measures logistic regression. Results: 234 out of 917 PAs (25.5%) completed the full survey. Respondents were mostly female (86%), married/partnered (78%), in Med Onc (71%), and practicing in the outpatient setting (67%). Burnout increased from 34.8% in 2015 to 48.7% in 2019 [odds ratio for burnout, 2019 vs 2015 = 1.92 (95%CI 1.40-2.65), p < .001]. Adjustment for workforce variables did not explain the increase in burnout. Among 2019 respondents, increased hours worked (p = .003), sub-specialty (P = .018), less time (%) spent on direct patient care (p = .007), practicing below full extent of education and training (p = .048), dissatisfaction with CP (p < .001), and perceptions of poor collaborative physician leadership (p < .001) were associated with higher rates of burnout. No difference in burnout was seen for personal or team characteristics, practice setting, years in onc, or # of patient visits. AWS scores were lower for PAs with burnout vs. without burnout (p < .001). PAs with a WM had a higher rate of burnout for each AWS domain (p < .001); most common WMs were fairness (44%) and workload (43%). Conclusions: The rate of burnout for Onc PAs has significantly increased and is now at levels of nearly 50%. Burnout in Onc PAs related to WM in workload is common, significant, & not explained by patient volume alone. The causes of burnout are multifactorial and additional research is needed in this at risk group. [Table: see text]