The relationship between psychosocial risk factors, burnout and quality of life among primary healthcare workers in rural Guangdong province: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare workers are often exposed to stressful working conditions at work which affect their quality of life. The study investigated the relationship between psychosocial risk factors, stress, burnout, and quality of life among primary healthcare workers in general medical practice in Qingyuan and Chaozhou cities in Guangdong province. METHOD: The cross-sectional study was conducted in 108 primary health facilities including 36 community health centers (CHCs) across two developing cities in Guangdong province. A total of 873 healthcare workers completed the questionnaires. Quality of life was evaluated using The World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF) and psychological risk factors were evaluated by the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ). General quality of life and the quality of life domains were transformed into a score range from minimum 0 to 100 maximum. Higher scores indicated better quality of life and vice versa. Significant associations were verified using multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: Poor quality of life was observed in 74.6% of healthcare workers surveyed. General poor quality of life was significantly higher among workers who reported higher burnout (Beta = - 0.331, p < 0.001). In addition, workers with high levels of burnout, unmarried workers and female workers had a higher possibility of physical health. A greater risk of poor psychological health was observed among workers with high burnout, poor sense of community and those with lower educational levels. Workers who lacked social support, those with fewer possibilities for development had increased probability of poor quality of life in the social domain. Poor quality of life in the environmental domain was observed among workers who were dissatisfied with their jobs and workers with low salaries. CONCLUSIONS: Primary healthcare workers in developing cities in China have a highly demanding and strained working environment and poor quality of life. Reducing job stress and improving work conditions may ultimately improve the well-being of primary healthcare workers.

Characteristics of medical disputes arising from dental practice in Guangzhou, China: an observational study.

OBJECTIVES: Doctor-patient conflict is a phenomenon that has become one of the major social problems affecting China's medical system today. This study aimed to analyse the nature of medical dispute incidents arising from dental practice, discover the related factors that may have incited such disputes and explore measures whereby the incidents of patients' conflicts towards dentists can be reduced. METHODS: A survey conducted in six public hospitals in Guangzhou, one of the largest cities in China, showed that more than two million patients received dental treatment between 2008 and 2012. χ2 test and binary logistic regression analysis were used to identify statistically significant differences in incident rates. RESULTS: In a total of more than two million outpatients, 541 reported dental disputes and lodged complaints with the medical service centre. Male patients reported higher dispute rates than did females (χ2=9.74, P<0.01). Binary logistic regression analysis further showed that disputes developed into conflicts depending on five factors: patient gender, dental specialty, cause of dispute, mode of payment and resolution duration. CONCLUSIONS: Gender, specialties, cause of dispute, mode of payment and resolution duration are associated with the incidence of dental conflicts, suggesting that medical quality is positively correlated to dental disputes, the coverage of stomatology in medical insurance should be expanded and detailed negotiation system should be developed for resolving dental disputes.