Síndrome de burnout en estudiantes de cardiología y cardiólogos en Colombia

Introduction: Burnout syndrome is a social and occupational phenomenon recognized by the WHO, and common in healthcare. It is characterized by low personal accomplishment, emotional exhaustion, and depersonalization, affecting professional performance and coping strategies. Despite the relevance of the topic, there is insufficient available information to visualize the magnitude of the problem with real figures in Colombia, especially in the field of cardiology. Objective: To determine the prevalence of burnout syndrome and the sociodemographic characteristics of cardiology students and cardiologists in Colombia. Materials and method: Cross-sectional analytical observational study conducted in Colombia through the application of a self-completed virtual survey made to cardiology students and cardiologists in Colombia. The first part of the survey collected sociodemographic and economic data; in the second part was applied the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) questionnaire. Results: A total of 207 surveys were conducted, 145 physicians answered the first part, 67.59% were men, the mean age was 40.8 years old, 64% of the cardiologists and 79% of the students consider that they do not have enough time to perform other activities not related to medicine (p = 0.18). When applying MBI, the most affected dimensions in the physicians surveyed are emotional exhaustion followed by low personal accomplishment and finally depersonalization. Comparing cardiologists and cardiology students, students have the highest proportion of compromise in all three dimensions. Taking into account the two most affected dimensions, 61.72% of the cardiologists and 81.57% of the cardiology students have a high score of symptoms suggestive of a diagnosis of burnout syndrome. Conclusion: The prevalence of burnout syndrome in cardiology students and cardiologists included in the described survey is high, this warrants the early implementation of strategies that seek to remove or mitigate factors that are associated with a higher risk of presenting this condition, which directly impacts the professional performance and quality of life of health professionals.