The role of healthcare accreditation in influencing burnout and work engagement levels among healthcare professionals in The United Arab Emirates
Publication Date
July 19, 2023
Creator
Abstract
Healthcare accreditation is a process that evaluates the quality of services in healthcare organisations based on a set of standards. While few studies have investigated the impact of hospital accreditation on the working environment, very little attention has been paid to the impact of accreditation on the psychological health of healthcare professionals (HCPs). Given the importance of the health and wellbeing of HCPs, this thesis aims to contribute to this growing area of research through its novel examination of the role of psychosocial hazards in predicting burnout and work engagement amongst HCPs working in the United Arab Emirate (UAE).
Three studies were conducted to bridge the gap between the field of occupational health psychology (OHP) and hospital accreditation using a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design. These studies were informed by a widely used model in OHP, known as the Job Demands-Resources model (JD-R). The first study explored the effect of accreditation processes on the working environment using semi-structured interviews (n = 28) and focus group discussions (n = 4). Two main themes emerged, namely: the Challenging factors in the process of accreditation; and the Enablers to achieve accreditation.
Findings from the first study informed the selection of questionnaire items used in the quantitative phase of this research. Thus, the second study developed a measure specific to the workload perceived by HCPs (i.e., accreditation demands) during accreditation. Further, the study aimed to build, translate, and validate the psychometric properties of tools, often used in Western countries, and apply them in a Middle Eastern country (i.e., the UAE). The analysis revealed five main constructs including accreditation demands, social support, psychosocial safety climate, personal burnout, and work engagement.
Using a longitudinal design, the third study built a model to test the lagged effect of specific job demands (i.e., Accreditation Demands) on personal burnout, and the lagged effect of job resources (i.e., Social Support) on work engagement. Further, the study integrated the psychosocial safety climate (PSC) construct, as an organisational resource, with the JD-R model to test its potential moderating effect on burnout and work engagement using structural equation modelling (SEM). Results on 121 HCPs showed significant positive effects of accreditation demands and social support before accreditation on personal burnout and work engagement after accreditation, respectively. In addition, the PSC was able to interact with accreditation demands and social support to moderate personal burnout and work engagement after accreditation.
Findings in this thesis have bridged the gap between hospital accreditation and theoretical frameworks of OHP, i.e., the JD-R and PSC models. Results of this research indicate that psychosocial hazards associated with accreditation influences HCPs’ health and well-being. Given that burnout among HCPs can reduce the quality of care, it is essential to acknowledge such impact by developing robust regulations and guidelines intended to promote a healthy working environment for HCPs during accreditation.
Item Type
ethesis
Thesis Type
PhD
Supervisors
Subjects (LC)
Associated Schools / Departments
School of Medicine
eprints ID
73821
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