Changes in primary healthcare workforce burnout during and after the termination of COVID-19 emergency response: A one-and-half-year observational study.

Background: Primary healthcare workforce (PHCW) should be suffered from less burnout after the termination of the COVID-19 response. The current study compared the changes in the three dimensions of burnout in PHCW during and after the response. Methods: Two convenience-sampling, online, cross-sectional questionnaire studies were conducted in local PHCW. Studies were administered in April 2022 and 8 months after the termination. Burnout was measured by the Chinese version of 15-item Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey, which assesses three dimensions: emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP), and reduced personal accomplishment (reduced PA). The primary outcome was the prevalence of its three dimensions. Data on demographics, work environment, health conditions, and outlets for stress reduction were collected. We compared burnout and associated factors between the study periods by using Student's Results: In total, 162 and 200 participants completed the questionnaires during and after the response. No significant differences in demographics, including age, gender, education attainment, work experience, or seniority level were observed. The prevalence of burnout-free status was similar (9.9% vs 12.5%, Conclusions: Inconsistent with the hypothesis, we found that severe burnout decreased, but moderate burnout increased in PHCWs after the response. EE and DP decreased more, but reduced PA had no change. Incentives, improved self-evaluated health conditions, alcohol consumption, and exercise ameliorate burnout. Healthcare policy makers must consider multiple effective ways to mitigate burnout in the post-epidemic era.