Monitoring Redeployment-Associated Burnout in Health Care Workers: A Real-Time Approach Using Ecological Momentary Assessment

Background/Objectives: This study evaluates the effectiveness of an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) tool for real-time monitoring of burnout among healthcare workers during times of crisis. Methods: Utilizing an intensive longitudinal design, 398 healthcare workers, including physicians, physician assistants, nurses, and trainees, were surveyed every five days over the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: The EMA approach successfully captured dynamic trends in burnout, identifying significant associations between workforce redeployment, elevated caseloads, and increased burnout, with effects persisting beyond a return to usual roles. Nurses were particularly vulnerable, reporting the highest burnout levels during periods of high patient volume. Conclusions: These findings validate EMA as an innovative and scalable method for continuous burnout surveillance, enabling the early identification of at-risk groups, guiding resource allocation, and informing timely interventions. This study highlights the critical role of real-time burnout monitoring tools in fostering workforce resilience and operational readiness during public health emergencies and other extended crises.