Gender, Parenting Status, and the Academic Productivity of Pediatricians During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: During the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, many women physicians experienced increased caregiver responsibilities, potentially leading to worsened gender inequities. METHODS: We surveyed faculty and trainees at a quaternary-care children's hospital regarding work environment, household obligations, and academic productivity to examine differential effects on productivity by gender and parenting status. We used descriptive statistics for demographics and analyzed Likert-scale responses with χ2 or Fisher's exact tests. We performed multivariable logistic regression to determine factors associated with self-reported academic productivity. We analyzed free-response comments using thematic analysis. RESULTS: The August 2021 survey was completed by 366 respondents (65% women; 46% response rate). Women were significantly more likely to report decreased academic productivity than men (66% [146/222] vs 30% [38/129], P <.001). Nearly one-half (49%) were parents with 80% utilizing childcare. Of these, 61% experienced unreliable childcare during the pandemic. Parents with unreliable childcare reported significantly decreased academic productivity compared with those with reliable childcare (76% [64/84] vs 36% [19/53], P <.001), and, among those with unreliable childcare, women disproportionally reported decreased academic productivity compared with men (88.5% [54/61] vs 43.5% [10/23], P <.001). After multivariable adjustment, women physicians with children were significantly more likely to report decreased academic productivity than men with children (adjusted odds ratio: 10.19, 95% confidence interval: 4.68-22.23). CONCLUSIONS: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has differentially impacted men and women physicians, with women physician parents more likely to report decreased academic productivity than men with children. Unreliable childcare was a significant contributor to this disparity. Institutions must prioritize initiatives to improve gender equity in medicine.

Pediatric Faculty and Trainee Attitudes Toward the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is an unprecedented event in modern medicine. In this study, we evaluate pediatric faculty and trainee attitudes and perspectives related to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and their roles in the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We surveyed a pediatric hospital's faculty and trainees (n = 701) in April 2020 about their concerns related to SARS-CoV-2, trust in current recommendations, and attitudes toward trainee roles. We used descriptive statistics to analyze results and compared across sex and roles using logistic regression. RESULTS: Among 320 respondents (46% response rate), 73% were concerned with personal risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and 88% were concerned with loved ones' risk. Twenty-four percent were concerned because of personal risk factors. Nearly half expressed concerns as their family's major provider and about salary changes (48% and 46%). Seventy-nine percent were concerned about lack of personal protective equipment and 43% about redeployment. Respondents endorsed varying levels of trust in recommendations related to COVID-19. Nearly three-fourths (72%) felt trainees are essential personnel. The majority were receptive to returning to usual patient care and training as the pandemic progresses. Significant differences exist across sex and roles related to levels of concern, trust, and trainee roles. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we assess the concerns and perspectives of pediatric faculty and trainees related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most view trainees as essential personnel and recognize the importance of direct patient care in their training. These results can be used to inform policy changes and trainee roles as the COVID-19 pandemic progresses.