Work-Related Stress and Patient-Centered Care Among European GPs: Insights from the PACE GP/FP Study

Goranka Petricek, Zalika Klemenc-Ketiš, Adam Windak, Zlata Ožvačić Adžić, Venija Cerovečki, Sara Willems, Zoi Tsimtsiou, Erika Zelko, Davorina Petek, Claire Collins, Kathryn Hoffmann, Torunn Bjerve Eide, Sara Ares Blanco, Thomas Frese, Lingner Heidrun, Radost Assenova, Peter Torzsa, Bohumil Seifert, Mehmet Ungan, Sabine Bayen, Joana Azeredo, Katarina Stavrikj, Krzysztof Studzinski, Sanda Kreitmayer, Milena Kostić, Iliana-Carmen Busneag, Tuomas Koskela, Alice Serafini, Joanne Butterworth, Dorien Zwart, Jesús González-Lama, Gorka Vuletić, Ksenija Tušek-Bunc, Esther Van Poel, Canan Tuz, Vildan Mevsim, Martin Seifert, Mina Dahli, Pero Hrabač, Miroslav Hanževački, Jelena Rakić Matić, Marion Tomičić, Marko Rađa, Bruno Heleno, Adam Becze, Rosa Megallón-Botaya, Heather Rogers, Christine Bruetting, Didem Kafadar, David Lerma Irureta, Davide Fornacciari, Katarzyna Nessler, Kiril Soleski, Fatima Mendez-Lopez, Ogulcan Come, Abeer Ahmad, Aileen Barrett

Keywords: Stress related to work, general practice, person-centered care, quality of care, PACE GP/FP study

Background:

Mental distress is becoming increasingly common among physicians, including general practitioners (GPs). Work-related stress negatively impacts the application of work skills and the overall functioning of an organization.

Research questions:

To investigate GPs' perception of work-related stress and its relation to sociodemographic factors and attitudes towards patient-centered care (PCC).

Method:

A cross-sectional, self-reported online survey was conducted among GPs in 24 European countries. GPs received email invitations with a survey link via national medical associations' mailing lists. The survey included four parts: general information about the doctor and office, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Patient-Physician Orientation Scale (PPOS), and facilitators and barriers to PCC. The study was conducted in collaboration with European Association of Quality and Safety in General Practice/Family Medicine (EQuiP) and EGPRN (European General Practice Research Network), coordinated by the Department of Family Medicine, University of Zagreb, and supported by the EGPRN Grant. Research Ethics Committee of Zagreb Medical School approved the study. Statistical analysis was performed using Statistica version 7.1.

Results:

A total of 4346 GPs participated, with a mean age of 46.79±11.84 years. Among them, 2273 (66.4%) were female, and 2564 (79%) specialized in general practice. GPs reported a moderate level of work-related stress (17.16±6.46). Older age, longer experience and fewer daily patient contacts were associated with lower stress (p<0.01). Higher stress levels correlated with lower total PPOS and subscale scores (p<0.05).

Conclusions:

The PACE GP/FP study highlights moderate work-related stress among GPs in Europe, with significant correlations between stress levels, sociodemographic factors, and PCC. The findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to alleviate stress and promote PCC. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for developing strategies to improve GPs' well-being and the quality of care they provide.

Points for discussion:

Impact of Work-Related Stress on GP Well-Being and Patient Care Quality.

The potential implications of the study's findings for healthcare policy and practice, aiming to enhance the support systems for GPs.

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