South African audiologists face clinical and systemic challenges because of resource constraints and workload pressures, yet their professional quality of life and the role of resilience remain underexplored. OBJECTIVES: To explore the professional quality of life of South African audiologists and to examine its association with resilience and coping.
No direct change to patient care practice is indicated, but clinic managers and healthcare systems in similar settings should consider workload reduction and support structures to prevent burnout among audiology staff.
Workforce wellbeing is a critical but often overlooked factor in service quality; if South African audiologists are burning out, the country's already strained hearing healthcare capacity will shrink further.
- 01Study explores professional quality of life (compassion satisfaction, burnout, and compassion fatigue) among South African audiologists.
- 02Resource constraints and systemic healthcare challenges are key drivers of poor professional quality of life.
- 03High workload pressures were identified as a significant stressor in the profession.
- 04Findings have implications for workforce retention and hearing healthcare service delivery in South Africa.
South African audiologists experience significant professional quality-of-life challenges driven by resource constraints and workload pressures.
studysupported- PMID
- 42240313
- DOI
- 10.4102/sajcd.v73i1.1144.
- Journal
- South African Journal of Communication Disorders
- Publication type
- research_article
- Evidence level
- 4
- Population
- South African audiologists
- Intervention
- Survey of professional quality of life (compassion satisfaction, burnout, compassion fatigue)
Primary outcomes
Professional quality of life scores (compassion satisfaction, burnout, secondary traumatic stress)
