The Influence of Workload on the Mental State of the Primary Health Care Physician

The work factors involved in physicians' mental workload wereanalysed. The study settings were 116 physicians (general practitioners,paediatricians and residents in family programmes working inout-patient clinics (Primary Health Care Centres) in Spain.The questionnaire used measured the mental workload and thework activity over a period of 5 days. The mental workload coveredseven dimensions: mental effort, physical effort, difficulty,priority, modify standards of visit, overlap, and stress. ItsCronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.80. The mental workload correlatedpositively with all variables measuring the workload activity.However, when the multiple regression analysis (stepwise met)was assessed, only the number of room visits, the referralsby nurse to physician, the room emergencies, the level of administrativetasks, the patients with complex pathologies, and the workloadadequacy remained significant. The physicians' years of experiencedid not correlate with mental workload. The influence of diversework activities in each of the mental workload dimensions wasinvestigated. We conclude that the number of patient visitsand organizational factors determine physicians' mental workload.