Relationships Between Quality of Work, Burnout, and Quality of Care in Health Care

Abstract

Background: This study examines the relationship of quality of work (psychosocial job characteristics and organizational factors) with staff burnout and perceived quality of care provided. Methods: 3,981 employees of 7 organisations providing care for mentally and/or physically disabled filled in self-report questionnaires assessing quality of work, burnout, and perceived quality of care provided by their unit. Findings: Unfavourable individual scores on psychosocial job characteristics and organizational factors are associated with higher levels of burnout and lower quality of care scores. Moderate support for a mediating role of burnout in the association between quality of work and quality of care was found. Aggregated data on unit level also show a significant association between quality of work, burnout, and perceived quality of care provided. Discussion: the findings underscore that both health care staff and recipients of care may benefit from efforts to improve quality of work in health care organisations.