Prospective study of emergency medicine provider wellness across ten academic and community hospitals during the initial surge of the COVID-19 pandemic
Dublin Core
Title
Prospective study of emergency medicine provider wellness across ten academic and community hospitals during the initial surge of the COVID-19 pandemic
Subject
Physician wellness, Well-being, Burnout, Emergency medicine, COVID-19 wellness
Description
Background: While COVID-19 has had far-reaching consequences on society and health care providers, there is a
paucity of research exploring frontline emergency medicine (EM) provider wellness over the course of a pandemic.
The objective of this study was to assess the well-being, resilience, burnout, and wellness factors and needs of EM
physicians and advanced practice providers (e.g., nurse practitioners and physician assistants; APPs) during the initial
phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: A descriptive, prospective, cohort survey study of EM physicians and APPs was performed across ten
emergency departments in a single state, including academic and community settings. Participants were recruited
via email to complete four weekly, voluntary, anonymous questionnaires comprised of customized and validated
tools for assessing wellness (Well Being Index), burnout (Physician Work Life Study item), and resilience (Brief
Resilience Scale) during the initial acceleration phase of COVID-19. Univariate and multivariate analysis with Chisquared, Fisher’s Exact, and logistic regression was performed.
Results: Of 213 eligible participants, response rates ranged from 31 to 53% over four weeks. Women comprised 54
to 60% of responses. Nonrespondent characteristics were similar to respondents. Concern for personal safety
decreased from 85 to 61% (p < 0.001). Impact on basic self-care declined from 66 to 32% (p < 0.001). Symptoms of
stress, anxiety, or fear was initially 83% and reduced to 66% (p = 0.009). Reported strain on relationships and feelings
of isolation affected > 50% of respondents initially without significant change (p = 0.05 and p = 0.30 respectively).
Women were nearly twice as likely to report feelings of isolation as men (OR 1.95; 95% CI 1.82–5.88). Working parttime carried twice the risk of burnout (OR, 2.45; 95% CI, 1.10–5.47). Baseline resilience was normal to high. Provider
well-being improved over the four weeks (30 to 14%; p = 0.01), but burnout did not significantly change (30 to 22%;
p = 0.39).
Conclusion: This survey of frontline EM providers, including physicians and APPs, during the initial surge of COVID-
19 found that despite being a resilient group, the majority experienced stress, anxiety, fear, and concerns about
personal safety due to COVID-19, putting many at risk for burnout. The sustained impact of the pandemic on EM
provider wellness deserves further investigation to guide targeted interventions.
paucity of research exploring frontline emergency medicine (EM) provider wellness over the course of a pandemic.
The objective of this study was to assess the well-being, resilience, burnout, and wellness factors and needs of EM
physicians and advanced practice providers (e.g., nurse practitioners and physician assistants; APPs) during the initial
phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: A descriptive, prospective, cohort survey study of EM physicians and APPs was performed across ten
emergency departments in a single state, including academic and community settings. Participants were recruited
via email to complete four weekly, voluntary, anonymous questionnaires comprised of customized and validated
tools for assessing wellness (Well Being Index), burnout (Physician Work Life Study item), and resilience (Brief
Resilience Scale) during the initial acceleration phase of COVID-19. Univariate and multivariate analysis with Chisquared, Fisher’s Exact, and logistic regression was performed.
Results: Of 213 eligible participants, response rates ranged from 31 to 53% over four weeks. Women comprised 54
to 60% of responses. Nonrespondent characteristics were similar to respondents. Concern for personal safety
decreased from 85 to 61% (p < 0.001). Impact on basic self-care declined from 66 to 32% (p < 0.001). Symptoms of
stress, anxiety, or fear was initially 83% and reduced to 66% (p = 0.009). Reported strain on relationships and feelings
of isolation affected > 50% of respondents initially without significant change (p = 0.05 and p = 0.30 respectively).
Women were nearly twice as likely to report feelings of isolation as men (OR 1.95; 95% CI 1.82–5.88). Working parttime carried twice the risk of burnout (OR, 2.45; 95% CI, 1.10–5.47). Baseline resilience was normal to high. Provider
well-being improved over the four weeks (30 to 14%; p = 0.01), but burnout did not significantly change (30 to 22%;
p = 0.39).
Conclusion: This survey of frontline EM providers, including physicians and APPs, during the initial surge of COVID-
19 found that despite being a resilient group, the majority experienced stress, anxiety, fear, and concerns about
personal safety due to COVID-19, putting many at risk for burnout. The sustained impact of the pandemic on EM
provider wellness deserves further investigation to guide targeted interventions.
Creator
Heather Kelker, Kyle Yoder, Paul Musey Jr, Madison Harris, Olivia Johnson, Elisa Sarmiento, Punit Vyas, Brooke Henderson, Zachary Adams and Julie Welch
Publisher
BMC Emergency Medicine
Date
(2021) 21:36
Contributor
Fajar bagus W
Format
PDF
Language
Indonesia
Type
Text
Files
Collection
Citation
Heather Kelker, Kyle Yoder, Paul Musey Jr, Madison Harris, Olivia Johnson, Elisa Sarmiento, Punit Vyas, Brooke Henderson, Zachary Adams and Julie Welch , “Prospective study of emergency medicine provider wellness across ten academic and community hospitals during the initial surge of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Repository Horizon University Indonesia, accessed November 21, 2024, https://repository.horizon.ac.id/items/show/3781.