1 / 14

Myanna Duncan

Myanna Duncan. Doctoral Researcher Work & Health Research Centre Loughborough University. Perspectives: Who am I? . B.Sc. (Hons.) Psychology M.Sc. Occupational Psychology Ph.D Applied Psychology

hilaire
Download Presentation

Myanna Duncan

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Myanna Duncan Doctoral Researcher Work & Health Research Centre Loughborough University

  2. Perspectives: Who am I? • B.Sc. (Hons.) Psychology • M.Sc. Occupational Psychology • Ph.D Applied Psychology • Research interests: extended working hours, shift working and their associated impact on health and wellbeing • Doctoral research: occupational health and wellbeing of junior doctors’ under EWTD • 4 phase mixed-methods research design working in collaboration with EMHWD

  3. Assessing Junior Doctors’ Perspectives • Doctoral research objectives • Assess juniors’ views on the EWTD • Impact on training, education, quality of working life • Explore perceived impact of the reduction of out-of-hours work • Feedback findings to key stakeholders in order to facilitate development of future rotas and working schedules • Foundation Year 1 & 2 Doctors • Data collection August 2007 – October 2008 • Sampled 3 junior doctor cohorts in EMHWD

  4. Assessing Perspectives: Research Phases • Phase 1: Semi-structured interviews: 36 participants • Foundation Year 2 Doctors. August – December 2007 • Phase 2: Web-based survey. 423 respondents • June – October 2008. Validated & bespoke measures • Phase 3: Focus groups: 23 participants – 5 groups • October 2008 • Phase 4: Expert Panel: scheduled for May 2009 • Further details towards end of presentation

  5. Perspectives: The Junior Doctors • Unable to present full details of research today • Time constraints! • Questions I aim to address today: • What does EWTD mean to Junior Doctors? • How has EWTD impacted on Junior Doctors’ work-life balance? • Presenting data from research phase 1 (interviews)

  6. The Junior Doctors’ Perspectives: Phase 1 data • Interview schedule developed in consultation with the literature, discussions with key stakeholders and from pilot interviews • Schedule included working schedules/experiences, followed by a combination of structured and open-ended questions pertaining to the research objectives • Nature of interview method allowed for a flexible exploration of topics & emergent themes • Invitation to participate in project sent to all Foundation Year 2 doctors working in EMHWD August 2007

  7. The Junior Doctors’ Perspectives: Phase 1 data • 36 interviews conducted: 21 females & 15 males • 9% of total sample • Participants self-selecting • Age range 23-34 years (mean 24.2 years) • 19 telephone & 17 face-to-face interviews • Interviews duration 35-75 minutes (mean 45 minutes) • No incentive offered for participation • Data coding by 2 independent researchers

  8. The Junior Doctors’ Perspectives: Findings • Participants largely recognised the need for regulation on working hours • Did not wish to return to the ‘old days’ • Many acknowledged positive impact EWTD has had on general health & wellbeing • However, the majority of participants regarded the 48 hour limit as too stringent • Frustration reported at way in which Directive has been implemented insofar as rota design • Particular value placed on out-of-hours shifts

  9. Theme 1: Importance of regulated working hours ‘ I think I’m in favour of a time directive. I think the past has shown that doctors were working ridiculously long hours and it was affecting them and the care and safety of their patients’ (Pp 18) ‘ I am personally in favour of it (EWTD) having worked in hospitals and knowing the value of on-calls but knowing you need to get the balance between being able to work safely and work happily and being able to work happily is quite important to me’ (Pp 17)

  10. Theme 2: ‘Excessive’ regulation ‘ I can understand that they want to limit hours but I think they’re setting the limit too low. I don’t really think any of us went into medicine expecting to work a 48 hour week and that’s not why we went into medicine, we did that because we want to work the hours to get the experience’ (Pp 24) ‘My biggest concern is that this (48 hours) is going to push the burden up to our senior colleagues. Because Trusts are cutting the hours of the junior doctors and not letting them opt out then the burden will move up the profession’ (Pp 21)

  11. Theme 3: EWTD & rota design ‘They’re taking out on-calls which means you’re going to get to a more senior level and do on-calls for the first time and be expected to be at the level people are at the moment when they get there having done years and years of on-calls’ (Pp 4) ‘I had 8 months of Monday to Friday 9 to 5, and other people had all their jobs banded. There’s just such variation and at the end of your house year. Some people will run the ward on their own whilst some people felt so unconfident at dealing with any sick patient because you had no experience’ (Pp 19)

  12. Research Limitations • Findings are from a single Deanery • May therefore offer limited generalisability to other Deaneries • Relatively small sample of self-selecting participants • Acknowledge this shortcoming, the data does appear to reflect a broad range of working experiences and views regarding the EWTD • Phase 1 data presented > 1 year old • Is however reflective of phase 2 and 3 data

  13. Perspectives: Take home message • Regulation on working hours typically welcomed • Junior doctors’ largely acknowledge improved quality of working life and work-life balance under EWTD • However, August 2009 presents many challenges as Trusts endeavour to with requirements for a 48 hour week • This requires careful rota planning • Where possible, we would encourage juniors’ involvement in rota planning & suggest that junior doctors may benefit from the opportunity to engage in out-of-hours working • Such opportunities may arise with multi-professional Hospital at Night teams

  14. Further details • Phase 4: Expert Panel, May 2009 at Loughborough University • Panel comprising practitioners, academics, medical professionals, medical HR staffing, occupational health • Presenting full details of the 3 research phases • Examining research implications for policy and practice • If would like further information/to register an interest, further details are available at the registration desk • Please feel free to contact me M.Duncan@lboro.ac.uk

More Related