Afya Index To Assess Physicians’ Health

Afya, the Brazilian higher education group for medical and health education, which is part of Bertelsmann Education Group, has developed the „Afya MedQoL Index“, the first scale to measure and assess mental health and quality of life among medical professionals in Brazil. The study published in “BMJ Open” is based on an online survey of 2,005 physicians from all of Brazil’s regions between July and August 2024. The index comprises 13 items grouped into three dimensions: well-being, institutional support, and perceived stress; the index yields an overall score ranging from 0 to 100. The initial result showed an overall score of 67.2. The well-being dimension scored higher than the overall index at 69.5, while the perceived stress dimension was the most critical factor and scored at 62.5. Due to its high reliability and validation, the index is considered a new benchmark for the systematic assessment of quality of life in the medical profession. The results show clear correlations between working conditions and well-being: Long working hours of over 60 hours per week, as well as certain fields of work, are associated with higher stress levels, while jobs in private facilities or in telemedicine tend to score better. Factors such as income, professional experience, and gender also influence perception – younger professionals and female doctors in particular report higher levels of stress. The study suggests that structural measures such as reduced working hours, psychological support services, and a supportive institutional culture can be more effective in improving well-being than mere pay raises. The study’s chosen approach makes it possible to observe developments over a period of time and derive targeted, evidence-based measures.