Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39979055›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2025

Burnout and staff experiences of health inequalities in children's hospitals: a qualitative analysis.

Judith Lunn, Louise Brennan, Liz Brewster, Avni Hindocha, Pallavi Patel, Caroline Stowell, Rachel Isba

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Judith LunnMedical School, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK j.lunn1@lancaster.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9281-2126
Louise BrennanLancaster University, Lancaster, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0377-6720
Liz BrewsterLancaster Medical School, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3604-2897
Avni HindochaLancaster University, Lancaster, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2151-277X
Pallavi PatelLancaster University, Lancaster, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1433-3936
Caroline StowellLancaster University, Lancaster, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0814-5058
Rachel IsbaLancaster University, Lancaster, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2896-4309

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo identify burnout constructs from descriptions of staff experiences of health inequalities operating across paediatric specialist hospitals and to categorise the constructs according to Leiter and Maslach's six Areas of Worklife (AWL) model of burnout.

designA secondary data analysis of a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews and focus groups.

settingThe interviews and focus groups were conducted within nine children's hospitals in England.

participantsThe dataset included responses from 217 individual staff members occupying various roles: leadership, clinical, professional and support. All staff who volunteered to participate were included in the study.

resultsThe results of this exploratory analysis showed that psychological burnout constructs were frequently embedded in hospital staff's descriptions of their experiences of health inequalities in hospitals, and relevant excerpts were found for all six domains of the AWL model. Staff described a work environment where socioeconomic disparities increased workload pressures, but efforts to improve services were frustrated by a perceived lack of control in decision making or professional recognition. There was ambiguity of role-based responsibilities for tackling health inequalities and an imbalance between organisational practices and personal and professional values of social justice.

conclusionsThere is a reciprocal relationship between health inequalities and burnout experienced by healthcare professionals operating within specialist children's hospital settings. The extant knowledge and approaches to health inequalities and occupational burnout should be considered in tandem, integrated into quality improvement and operationalised within paediatric healthcare organisations to improve safety and quality of care.

Indexed as

Burnout, ProfessionalHealthcare DisparitiesHealth Status DisparitiesHospitals, PediatricAdultAttitude of Health PersonnelEnglandFemaleFocus GroupsHumansInterviews as TopicMaleMiddle AgedQualitative ResearchWorkloadMENTAL HEALTHPAEDIATRICSQUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Identifiers

PMID39979055
PMCPMC11842975

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.