Working conditions of doctors in Paraguay. An exploratory study. October 2024

Abstract

Introduction: Working conditions play an important role in the physical and mental well-being of physicians, with poor working conditions being associated with high levels of stress and job dissatisfaction.

Objetive: To analyze the working conditions of Paraguayan physicians in November 2024.

Method:This was a cross-sectional, descriptive, observational study. Non-probability sampling of consecutive cases of Paraguayan physicians who were practicing medical care during the month of October 2024.

Results: A total of 112 physicians aged 27 to 59 years (34.83 ± 4.57) were included. 70.5% were female. 33% performed healthcare activities for more than 48 hours per week. 34.8% did not have health insurance and, on average, had 16.32 days of vacation per year. 25.9% worked in critical care areas, 67.9% worked at night, and 73.2% worked in emergency areas.

Conclusions: These results demonstrate that a high percentage of physicians lack health insurance, have fewer vacation days per year than in other Latin American countries, and a high percentage of physicians work in critical areas that cause physical and emotional exhaustion.