A qualitative study of work-life balance amongst specialist orthodontists in the United Kingdom

Survey of National Health Service (NHS) orthodontic practitioners in Wales, UK. Part 2: job satisfaction perceptions of the workforce 2021-2022

OBJECTIVE

To ascertain the perceptions of the Welsh NHS orthodontic workforce regarding their job satisfaction and work life balance.

DESIGN

Descriptive cross-sectional survey.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Clinicians providing NHS orthodontic treatment in Wales.

METHODS

An anonymised, email-distributed, electronic, two-part survey (onlinesurveys.ac.uk) of the Welsh NHS orthodontic workforce working within Wales was undertaken. The survey consisted of three sections: (1) demographic information (part 1); (2) respondents' working pattern (part 1); and (3) perceptions of professional job satisfaction and work/life balance (part 2). The responses received were exported into an Excel spreadsheet for descriptive analysis. The free-text comments were collated for each question and subsequently underwent a content analysis to identify any common themes.

RESULTS

Part 2 of the survey yielded an overall response rate of 69.6% (n = 78). Over 96% (n = 75) of respondents felt that they had 'made the right career choice, including 100% of orthodontic trainees, orthodontic specialists and orthodontic consultants. Of the respondents, 88.5% (n = 69) said they 'enjoyed going to work', with the remaining being mostly neutral in their opinion. Of the respondents, 79.5% (n = 62) felt they were able to 'provide their patients the optimum care' and 64.1% (n = 50) felt that more demands were being placed upon them by patients and parents. Overall, 52.6% (n = 41) of survey respondents believed it was becoming increasingly difficult to achieve an effective work/life balance, and this was more prevalent among male respondents (61.5%, n = 16) than female respondents (48.1%, n = 25), although this difference was not statistically significant (P >0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Over 96% of respondents felt they have chosen the right career and that flexibility and a good working environment are important to job satisfaction. Respondents felt that there are increasing demands being placed upon them by patients/parents, employers, the Regulators, the Government and Health Boards. This is leading to increased difficulty in achieving a satisfactory work/life balance, especially among male respondents.

Survey of National Health Service (NHS) orthodontic practitioners in Wales, UK. Part 1: working patterns 2021-2022

OBJECTIVE

To ascertain the working patterns of the NHS orthodontic workforce in Wales and any possible future changes.

DESIGN

Descriptive cross-sectional survey.

PARTICIPANTS

NHS orthodontic practitioners in Wales.

METHODS

An anonymised email distributed an electronic two-part survey of the Welsh NHS orthodontic workforce. The survey consisted of three sections: (1) demographic information; (2) respondents' working pattern (part 1); and (3) perceptions of professional satisfaction (part 2).

RESULTS

Part 1 of the survey yielded a 70.5% response rate (n = 79); 65.8% of the respondents were women. Of the respondents, 45.6% (n = 36) worked full time (F/T), 39.2% (n = 31) worked less than F/T and 15.2% (n = 12) worked more than F/T. Of the male respondents, 81.5% (n = 22) worked 10 sessions or more compared to 50% (n = 26) of women. The respondents undertook 508.5 orthodontic clinical sessions per week within Wales; of these sessions, 87.6% (n = 445.5) delivered NHS orthodontic care. Of the respondents, 8.4% (n = 7) were planning to increase their orthodontic clinical time within the next 2 years, 24.1% (n = 19) were planning to decrease it and 20.3% (n = 16) were unsure. One-quarter of respondents indicated that they were planning to stop clinical orthodontic activity within the next 5 years, including 53.3% (n = 8) of DwSIs, 37% (n = 10) of primary care specialists and 13.3% (n = 2) of consultants. The pandemic was an influencing factor for 80% of these clinicians.

CONCLUSIONS

Part 1 of the survey suggested that the majority of the orthodontic workforce was female, were working full time or more, and spent most sessions delivering NHS care. One-quarter of respondents were planning to cease undertaking orthodontic activity within the next 5 years.

Satisfaction of orthodontic Post-CCST training: A survey of trainee perceptions

INTRODUCTION

This survey was undertaken as a second part to 'Barriers to Post-CCST training in orthodontics: A survey of trainee perceptions'. Recruitment of Post-CCST trainees in certain areas of the country has attracted concerns as it has become increasingly difficult. This survey was undertaken to assess trainee satisfaction with Post-CCST training and to look at possible ways to improve trainee satisfaction and make Post-CCST training more desirable.

METHODS

The Training Grades Group (TGG) committee of the British Orthodontic Society (BOS) produced an online survey that was sent to all TGG members and newly qualified consultants in May 2021. All Post-CCSTs who entered training between February 2017 and October 2020, were asked to complete the survey.

RESULTS

There were 37 respondents, which gave a response rate of 62%. While 61% of respondents were satisfied with their Post-CCST training, 17% were 'neither satisfied or dissatisfied' and 6% were either 'dissatisfied' or 'very dissatisfied'. Of the 37 respondents, 25 (67%) would apply for Post-CCST training again, 6 (16%) would not and 6 (16%) did not answer this question. When asked for possible suggestions for improvements to Post-CCST training to encourage greater satisfaction, the responses could be grouped into the following themes: Part-time training; Teaching; Time commitment; Salary; and Experience.

CONCLUSION

In general, respondents were satisfied with Post-CCST training. There was a significant range of positive and negative responses to various aspects of training including multidisciplinary team clinic preparation, support, supervision and management experience. Suggestions for improvements echo the barriers to Post-CCST training survey.

Perceived Occupational Stress and Its Psychosocial Predictors Among Indian Orthodontists

BACKGROUND

Orthodontists, like any other medical professional, are susceptible to cumulative stressors and their undesirable consequences. The study aims to assess the self-perceived occupational stress levels and the psychological link between predictors and stress among orthodontic practitioners in India.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The participants in this cross-sectional study are active members of the Indian Orthodontic Society (IOS). The data for the survey were collected by a previously validated closed-ended occupational stress assessment (OSA) questionnaire and a job satisfaction questionnaire, which were sent through the registered e-mails. A five-point Likert scale was used to assess the severity of individual stressors, and an overall severity score was obtained by summing up the individual scores. The predictors of stress based on socio-demographic parameters were assessed using a binomial multiple logistic equation. Statistical significance was set at a p-value of <0.05.

RESULTS

A total of 311 responses were received. Male orthodontists, unmarried, in the age group of 30-40 years, working in urban areas without any academic attachment were more stressed compared to the other groups in the respective categories. Tiredness/headache (39%) was reported as the most common consequence of occupational stress. The most concerning stressor was patients not wearing retainers. Orthodontists showed overall job satisfaction that is negatively correlated to overall stress (p <0.0001)(r = -0.260).

CONCLUSION

A profound variation in stress levels was found among the orthodontists with their socio-demographic and professional characteristics. Despite the stress, orthodontists were highly satisfied with their careers.

Flexibility and access to dental postgraduate speciality training

Increasingly, there is a clear emphasis on the need for improved access to flexible training. This reflects changing societal attitudes and expectations towards work-life balance and increasing demand for flexible working. The recently published Advancing dental care review: final report (2021) reflects these same demands within dental postgraduate training. Increasing flexible training options has the potential for far-reaching beneficial effects for dental speciality training. There are barriers to accessing speciality training for specific applicant groups and this risks potentially excluding excellent-quality candidates from pursuing speciality training. There is opportunity in utilising and developing flexible training options to support widening access to dental speciality training. Recruitment and working pattern arrangements should reflect these aspirations, ensuring that the best trainees are successful irrespective of their personal circumstances.

What has changed in orthodontic patient care between the two surges of the COVID-19 pandemic? A thematic analysis

BACKGROUND AND AIM

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has brought new challenges to every specialty and orthodontics is no exception. Currently, there seems no way other than to mitigate the risk and proceed with routine orthodontic treatment. The aim of the present study was to conduct a qualitative inquiry into the coping strategies, perceptions and anticipations of orthodontic patients and the challenges faced by orthodontists.

METHODS

An in-depth telephone interview of 30 patients and/or their parents and orthodontists belonging to an Academic-based Residency Program and Private Practice was conducted regarding the challenges, opportunities and futuristic ways of coping with COVID-19. Inputs were recorded, transcripts were prepared and anonymised, and a thematic analysis was performed.

RESULTS

Six themes and several sub-themes emerged from the detailed interviews and their transcripts. The initial fearful situation due to COVID-19 has gradually transformed into a certain 'new normal' in the lives of patients and caregivers, explaining why patients started seeking orthodontic treatment as usual or even preferring to begin treatment during this period. Orthodontists in the midst of uncertainty are delivering quality care and expecting future innovations and changes to combat such pandemics.

CONCLUSION

Humans can adapt to any crisis that runs over a period of time. The new insights obtained will help to plan treatment and set up practice to cope with pandemics and crises that can affect orthodontic treatment in the future.

Mediational Occupational Risk Factors Pertaining to Work Ability According to Age, Gender and Professional Job Type

The predictive value of work ability for several health and occupational outcomes is well known. Maintaining the ability to work of all employees has become an important topic in research although some evidence suggests that some groups of workers need greater attention than others. Healthcare workers (x¯ = 54.46 ± 5.64 years) attending routine occupational health checkups completed their work ability, occupational risk and sociodemographic measures. An analysis examined whether work ability differed according to gender, age and professional category. Mediation of these relationships by occupational risk variables, such as work–family conflict, was examined. Females and older adults had worse work ability than their counterparts. Professional group was not independently associated. Gender-related differences were mediated by current and historic ergonomic risk, psychosocial risk and work–family conflict. Age-related differences were mediated by violence/discrimination at work. All job risk variables, apart from current ergonomic risk, mediated associations between professional category and work ability. The present study identified the importance of risk variables for the work ability of health workers according to gender, age and professional job type. Perceptions of work–family conflict and violence–discrimination seem particularly important and should be considered when targeting improvements in work ability.

Factors associated to quality of life of orthodontists graduated from a public university (1993-2016): A mixed-methods approach

Introduction:

For dental professionals, including orthodontists, Quality of life (QOL) is a topic of growing concern and could be determined by objective and subjective complex factors.

Objective:

This study analyzed the factors that influence the QOL of orthodontists graduated between 1993 and 2016 of a public university (Medellín, Colombia).

Methods:

A mixed-methods study was conducted (cross-sectional survey; 88 participants; 3 focus groups, 21 participants). Quantitative analysis: the research included sociodemographic, labor and health characteristics as independent variables and the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire as main outcome for QOL. Frequencies were calculated and the association between QOL and independent variables was estimated by bivariate analysis (Chi square tests) and a linear multivariate regression. Qualitative analysis: Narrative content analysis according to thematic categories. Mixed methods: a conceptual framework for QOL using the triangulation was developed.

Results:

All the scores surpassed 55 points on the 4 domains of WHOQOL-BREF. A lower value was found in the physical dimension (57.1±10.7) and a greater value in the psychological dimension (70.8±8.3). The variables associated positively to QOL were permanent contract, teaching/research activities, monthly income, resting days per week and sex. Factors associated negatively were low social support, mental health and rent housing. Discourses of participants allowed to identify the concept of QOL and the contextual and social determinants and satisfiers.

Conclusion:

QOL of orthodontists is influenced by sociodemographic, employment, working and health factors. Therefore, QOL is a multidimensional concept that recognizes the political and socio-economic context and personal and professional experiences.

Contextualising work–life balance: a case of women of African origin in the UK

Purpose

The existing gender gap in the workplace, that affects job satisfaction and career advancement of women, creates a need to understand further the causes and effects of the gender gap phenomenon. Although, there are many challenges that affect women’s job satisfaction and advancement in the workplace, this paper aims to investigate work–life balance using multiple theoretical lenses.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 15 semi-structured interviews were conducted with women from Nigeria and Ghana residing in the UK, they were selected using a purposive sampling method.

Findings

The findings show four main factors that explain the choices these women make in relation to work–family. These are cultural sensitivities, current phase in family and work–life, personality types and other influences such as policies and financial commitment. Results also show how these women make these work–family choices using networks and services.

Practical implications

The paper postulates the need for organisation’s to pay attention to the acculturation and enculturation of these women, which would indicate observing their cultural behaviour’s, values, knowledge and identities to understand how they integrate, assimilate and to also prevent separation and marginalisation. In addition, the use of (internal and external) networks as support systems for these women can create the opportunity for informal learning. Finally, organisation’s should create structure that support workplace learning and should include activities such as decision-making, communication, career advancement planning and flexible work patterns.

Originality/value

This study contributes to theory using multiple theories (work-family, gender inequality and Theories X and Y in explaining the work–family construct of women of African origin in the UK.

Career satisfaction and work-life balance of specialist orthodontists within the UK/ROI

Objectives To investigate factors affecting career satisfaction and work-life balance in specialist orthodontists in the UK/ROI.Design and setting Prospective questionnaire-based study.Subjects and methods The questionnaire was sent to specialist orthodontists who were members of the British Orthodontic Society.Results Orthodontists reported high levels of career satisfaction (median score 90/100). Career satisfaction was significantly higher in those who exhibited: i) satisfaction with working hours; ii) satisfaction with the level of control over their working day; iii) ability to manage unexpected home events; and iv) confidence in how readily they managed patient expectations. The work-life balance score was lower than the career satisfaction score but the median score was 75/100. Work-life balance scores were significantly affected by the same four factors, but additionally were higher in those who worked part-time.Conclusions Orthodontists in this study were highly satisfied with their career and the majority responded that they would choose orthodontics again. Work-life balance scores were lower than career satisfaction scores but still relatively high. It is important for the profession to consider ways of maintaining, or improving, career satisfaction and work-life balance; including maintaining flexibility of working hours and ensuring that all clinicians have ready access to appropriate training courses throughout their careers (for example, management of patient expectations).