Creating work-life balance among physicians in the age of digitalization: the role of self-consciousness and communication – a qualitative study

BACKGROUND: Besides the positive effects of using digital health solutions, digitalization can affect the healthcare worker burnout. The ability to coordinate different aspects of life (WLB) also plays a significant role in the development of burnout among medical workers. The aim of our study is to show, through qualitative interviews, the impact of digitalization on work-life balance in Hungarian physicians. METHODS: 62 semi-structured interviews were conducted between October 2021 and June 2022, of which, a total of 31 interviews were used for the analysis, which were all related to the theme of work-life balance. Purposive sampling and inductive thematic approach were used to collect and analyse the data and identify patterns of the themes. RESULTS: Based on this analysis, 5 main themes emerged: (1) the use of digital health tools, (2) Impact of digital tools on everyday work, (3) Work-life balance, (4) Setting and maintaining work-life boundaries, (5) Potential solutions. With the spread of digital communication, most of the respondents feel that their working hours increased even at the expense of their private life. The majority considers constant availability as a serious problem, however, several physicians indicated that as a result of a learning curve, they are able to change and set the necessary boundaries. Respondents were divided on whether or not they were successful in setting and maintaining boundaries. The 2 most important factors of establishing WLB in a digital age are self-consciousness and communication. However, these skills are not self-evident: the responses also show that in many cases there is a need for external support, but also for health professionals to actively reflect from time to time on their role as healers and their relationship with technology. CONCLUSION: Basic principles and tools for establishing successful digital work-life balance in healthcare should be involved in the training curriculum of future physicians and healthcare professionals, while institutions should elaborate specific policies to include digital work-life balance in the institutional setting, as part of the preventive measures against burnout. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-023-10101-w.