In-Hospital continuous medical education during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background:The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly contagious disease as it is spread by contact with infected surfaces and inhalation of droplets. Several measures have been put in place to prevent the COVID-19 infection one of which is social distancing and physical distancing. Some in-hospital continuous medical education was suspended during the pandemic.Objective of Study: The objective of the study is to investigate the impact of social distancing on In-hospital continuous professional development during the COVID-19 pandemic.Research methodology:This is a cross-sectional study conducted among doctors working in Nigeria irrespective of their cadre or location. Aself-administered online questionnaire was used to generate data for this study. There was no risk of participating in the study. Results:The respondents in this study were 62. The majority 51(82.3%) had different in-hospital continuous medical education (CME) activities during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic when there was a ban in Nigeria on the gathering of more than 20 persons; the CME activities were via Zoom video conferencing 44 (71%) App. The majority of the respondents however preferred a face-to-face (physical) meeting [40(74.2%)] and also learnt better during a face-to-face meeting [46(74.2%)]. Conclusion:CME is very important in healthcare so COVID-19 did not stop it although it went through a lot of transformation in the mode it was delivered

Psychosocial impact of the implementation of COVID-19 protocols

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has spread globally since the first case was diagnosed in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and we are now experiencing the fourth wave. Several measures are being taken to care for the infected and to curtail the spread of this novel infectious virus. The psychosocial impact of these measures on patients, relatives, caregivers, and medical personnel also needs to be assessed and catered for. METHODS: This is a review article on the psychosocial impact of the implementation of COVID-19 protocols. The literature search was done using Google Scholar, PubMed, and Medline. DISCUSSION: Modalities of transportation of the patient to isolation and quarantine centres have led to stigma and negative attitudes towards such individuals. When diagnosed with the infection, fear of dying from COVID-19, fear of infecting family members and close associates, fear of stigmatization, and loneliness are common among COVID-19 patients. Isolation and quarantine procedures also cause loneliness and depression, and the person is at risk of post-traumatic stress disorder. Caregivers are continually stressed out and have the constant fear of contracting SARS-CoV-2. Despite clear guidelines to help with closure for family members of people dying from COVID-19, inadequate resources make this unrealistic. CONCLUSION: Mental and emotional distress resulting from fear of SARS-Cov-2 infection, the mode of transmission, and consequences have a tremendous negative impact on the psychosocial well-being of those affected, their caregivers, and relatives. There is a need for the government, health institutions, and NGOs to establish platforms to cater to these concerns

Psychological consequences of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on doctors

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world. The pandemic has had several impacts on healthcare workers who are at the frontline of screening, triaging and caring for both suspected and confirmed cases, no matter if they are asymptomatic or symptomatic. This has therefore affected the mental health of doctors. Several studies have found that mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic distress syndrome, and insomnia just to mention a few are on a rise among healthcare workers including doctors. This is a review article on the psychological consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Burnout among Nigerian doctors: a systematic review

Burnout among physicians is a global phenomenon which has been under-reported in middle and low-income economies. The importance of burn-out on the physicians' well-being, patient care and overall health care system cannot be overemphasized. In Nigeria, few studies are specific to burnout, with most of the available studies exploring psychosocial issues at physicians' workplace stress and job dissatisfaction. This present review of literature is assessing burnout among Nigerian Physicians. This review is designed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. The review identified observational, review, longitudinal and experimental studies on Nigerian physicians between 1970- 2017, which have the full text in the English language. The articles were searched from online databases such as PUBMED, Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), African Journals Online (AJOL) and Google Scholar by researchers. The keywords used include "Physician", "Nigeria", "burn-out" syndrome. The prevalence of 23.6% to 51.7% burnout was reported among physicians in the selected studies, with young age being a strong predictor for burnout. High burden of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal accomplishment were reported in the study carried out among resident doctors who are early career doctors. The prevalence of burnout reported from these studies in Nigeria is very high, although they are within the globally reported range of physician burnout. Nevertheless, there is a dearth of information on the subject matter among Nigerian Physicians. There is a need to carry out more studies on burnout among Nigerian Physicians