What Factors Predict an Anesthesiologist’s Willingness to Proceed with an Anesthetic?
Anesthesiologists are exposed to higher stress levels than many other physician specialties. They are also at an increased risk for developing mental disorders, alcohol and drug dependencies, sleep disturbances, and suicidal ideations. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation was to explore the factors that predict an anesthesiologist’s willingness to proceed with an anesthetic. The current study consisted of two stages. The first stage was developing a regression equation that was used to predict anesthesiologists’ willingness to proceed with an anesthetic. During the second stage, additional data was collected to test the model that was developed in the first stage. Six predictors were examined: the number of adverse events experienced by physicians, a recent history of errors, openness, agreeableness, imposter syndrome, and risk-taking. These predictors were tested across four different scenarios. In scenario 1, the significant predictors were imposter syndrome and risk-taking. In scenario 2, the significant predictors were openness and agreeableness. Finally, in scenarios 3 and 4, there were no significant predictors that were included in the final model. Practical applications and future studies are also discussed.
anesthesiology, anesthesiologists, human factors, physicians, Medicine and Health Sciences
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