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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd 2017; 77(08): 894-903
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-110863
GebFra Science
Original Article/Originalarbeit
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Duty Rosters and Workloads of Obstetricians in Germany: Results of a Germany-wide Survey

Article in several languages: English | deutsch
Johannes Neimann   *
1   Frauenklinik mit Brustzentrum, KRH Klinikum Siloah, Hannover, Germany
,
Julia Knabl   *
2   Klinikum der Universität München Klinik und Poliklinik für Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe Campus Innenstadt, München, Germany
3   Department of Obstetrics, Klinik Hallerwiese, Nürnberg, Germany
,
Julian Puppe
4   Klinik und Poliklinik für Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe, Uniklinik Köln, Köln, Germany
,
Christian Michael Bayer
5   Frauenklinik, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
,
Paul Gass
5   Frauenklinik, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
,
Lena Gabriel
6   Klinik für Frauenheilkunde, Geburtshilfe und Reproduktionsmedizin, Universitätsklinikum des Saarlandes, Homburg/Saar, Germany
,
Birgit Seelbach-Goebel
7   Krankenhaus der Barmherzigen Brüder – Klinik St. Hedwig, Lehrstuhl für Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe der Universität Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
,
Johannes Lermann
5   Frauenklinik, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
,
Sarah Schott
8   Universitätsfrauenklinik, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
9   German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
10   Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Heidelberg, Germany
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

received 20 February 2017
revised 05 May 2017

accepted 09 May 2017

Publication Date:
24 August 2017 (online)

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Abstract

Background Compiling a daily hospital roster which complies with existing laws and tariff regulations and meets the requirements for ongoing professional training while also taking the legal regulations on the health of employees into account makes planning the duty roster a challenge. The aim of this study was to obtain a realistic picture of existing duty roster systems and of the current workloads of obstetricians in Germany.

Method This online survey was sent to 2770 physicians training to become obstetricians or specializing in specific areas of obstetric care. The survey consisted of an anonymized 95-item questionnaire which collected data on different types of duty roster systems and the workload of obstetricians in Germany for the period from 17.02.2015 to 16.05.2015.

Results Out of a total of 2770 physicians who were contacted, 437 (16%) completed the questionnaire. Across all forms of care, the care provided outside normal working hours usually (75%) consisted of a combination of regular working times and on-call duty or even consisted entirely of standby duty. Level I perinatal centers were most likely 20% (n = 88) to have a shift system in place. Working a shift system was significantly more common in care facilities which had previously carried out a job analysis. The number of physicians in hospitals who are present during the night shift was higher in facilities with higher numbers of births and in facilities which offered higher levels of care. In addition to regularly working overtime and the fact that often not all the hours worked were recorded, it was notable that the systems used to compile duty rosters often did not comply with legal regulations or with collectively agreed working hours nor were they compatible with the staff planning requirements.

Outlook The results of this study show that the conditions of work, the working times, and the organization of working times in obstetric departments are in need of improvement. Recording the actual times worked together with an analysis of the activities performed during working times and while on standby would increase the level of transparency for employers and employees.

Key words

workload - specialization - obstetrics - work-life balance - duty roster - perinatal center

Supporting Information