Study of factors influencing psychosocial and professional characteristics of general practitioners (family doctors): validation of the international questionnaire COPSOQ III (Long version)

Introduction. Professional activity of physicians is associated with high psychological tension, which leads to the development of emotional and physical burnout. The management of factors of potential impact on psychosocial and indirectly on professional characteristics of medical workers in health policy is an important part of providing quality of the medical care to the population.

The purpose of the study. Identification of psychosocial predictors forming burnout syndrome in the professional activity of general practitioners (GPs), family doctors (FDs) with using the psychosocial questionnaire COPSOQ III (Long version).

Materials and methods. The methods of questionnaire survey, statistical analysis, and generalization of three hundred forty respondents’ answers were applied. The survey was conducted from May to November 2022 using the electronic Russian version of the international questionnaire COPSOQ III (Long version), available on the website of the N.A. Semashko National Research Institute of Public Health. General practitioners (family doctors) of the outpatient and polyclinic level of Moscow health care institutions participated in the survey.

Results. Factor analysis of new predictors of psychosocial tension in the work of GPS (FDs), was carried out on a considerable volume of statistical material, which formed a high level of professional burnout — 233.01 ± 82.39 (224.23; 241.80, p = 0.05) points.

Research limitations. The study was limited to a representative sample of GPS (FDs) working in healthcare facilities in Moscow within the framework of testing the reliability and construct validity of the full Russian-language version of COPSOQ III (Long version). The results of the study as a whole are not interpolated to the problem area of working conditions of GPs (FDs) in the health care system of the Russian Federation, further research is required.

Conclusion. The research has revealed new factors of the development of professional burnout of GPS (FDs) on the basis of their interview with the help of adapted psychosocial international questionnaire COPSOQ III (Long version).

Compliance with ethical standards. The study was approved at a meeting of the Independent ethics committee of the N.A. Semashko National Research Institute of Public Health (Protocol No. 2 of 17.05.2022). Informed consent was received from all participants.

Contribution of the authors:
Kuznetsova M.A. — concept and design of the study, collection and statistical processing;
Vasilyeva T.P. — editing;
Zudin A.B. — material systematization, editing;
Gruzdeva O.A. — organization of the study in medical organizations;
Kuznetsova K.Yu. — summarization, editing.
All authors — approval of the final version of the article, responsibility for the integrity of all parts of the article.

Acknowledgment. The study had no sponsorship.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare the absence of obvious and potential conflicts of interest in connection with the publication of this article.

Received: April 29, 2023 / Revised: August 6, 2023 / Accepted: October 18, 2023 / Published: August 29, 2024