Telemedicine During COVID-19 Response: A Welcome Shift for Younger Female Healthcare Workers.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare workers, especially female employees, have historically been at an increased risk for occupational stress. During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, many healthcare workers shifted to a telework model of care and started working from home (WFH). It is unclear how WFH impacted female healthcare employees' job satisfaction and stress levels. OBJECTIVE: To further understand the impact of WFH on job satisfaction and stress among female healthcare employees. DESIGN: An exploratory survey was utilized. Data was evaluated with generalized linear models and logistic regression. Data was collected March to April 2021, between the third and fourth COVID waves in the U.S.A. PARTICIPANTS: All employees (approximately 1050) within the Veterans Affairs Central Western Massachusetts (VACWM) Healthcare System were invited to participate. We received 220 responses with most (78.6%) respondents identifying as female. MAIN MEASURES: A Work-from-Home Satisfaction Scale and the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) Compassion Satisfaction and Burnout Scales. KEY RESULTS: A majority of our participants (> 60%) strongly agreed that WFH during COVID-19 increased their work satisfaction and their ability to feel safe and reduced overall stress levels. Female respondents reported that WFH increased their ability to feel safe, reduced overall stress, and did not interfere with work efficiency when compared to male respondents. Overall, reported burnout was low, with only 32.7% of respondents scoring in the moderate category on the PROQOL burnout scale and no respondents scoring in the high burnout category. CONCLUSIONS: Employees at this VA medical center who had the ability to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly younger women, reported less stress, less burnout, and more satisfaction, while maintaining work efficiency and team cohesion. Providing permission to WFH may decrease the added burden that female healthcare workers often experience as they strive to overcome gender gaps and inequalities in the workplace.

Examining Pregnant Veterans' Acceptance and Beliefs Regarding the COVID-19 Vaccine.

BACKGROUND: Pregnant persons have received mixed messages regarding whether or not to receive COVID-19 vaccines as limited data are available regarding vaccine safety for pregnant and lactating persons and breastfeeding infants. OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to examine pregnant Veteran's acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines, along with perceptions and beliefs regarding vaccine safety and vaccine conspiracy beliefs. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of pregnant Veterans enrolled in VA care who were taking part in an ongoing cohort study at 15 VA medical centers between January and May 2021. MAIN MEASURES: Pregnant Veterans were asked whether they had been offered the COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy, and whether they chose to accept or refuse it. Additional questions focused on perceptions of COVID-19 vaccine safety and endorsements of vaccine knowledge and conspiracy beliefs. Logistic regression was utilized to examine predictors of acceptance of a vaccine during pregnancy. KEY RESULTS: Overall, 72 pregnant Veterans were offered a COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy; over two-thirds (69%) opted not to receive a vaccine. Reasons for not receiving a vaccine included potential effects on the baby (64%), side effects for oneself (30%), and immunity from a past COVID-19 infection (12%). Those who received a vaccine had significantly greater vaccine knowledge and less belief in vaccine conspiracy theories. Greater knowledge of vaccines in general (aOR: 1.78; 95% CI: 1.2-2.6) and lower beliefs in vaccine conspiracies (aOR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.6-0.9) were the strongest predictors of acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides important insights regarding pregnant Veterans' decisions to accept the COVID-19 vaccine, and reasons why they may choose not to accept the vaccine. Given the high endorsement of vaccine conspiracy beliefs, trusted healthcare providers should have ongoing, open discussions about vaccine conspiracy beliefs and provide additional information to dispel these beliefs.

Veterans' Perinatal Care and Mental Health Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Examination of the Role of Prior Trauma and Pandemic-Related Stressors.

Background: Many pregnant and postpartum Veterans have experienced multiple lifetime traumas, including military sexual trauma, intimate partner violence, and combat trauma. These women may be particularly vulnerable to increased post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health problems following additional trauma exposures or stressful events, such as Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study sought to examine the impact of prior trauma exposures on the lived experience of pregnant and postpartum Veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: Pregnant Veterans at 15 VA medical centers were surveyed at 20 weeks of pregnancy and 3 months postpartum asked about their COVID-19-related perinatal and mental health experiences, as well as the stressors that impacted them as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Overall, 111 women Veterans completed both the pregnancy and postpartum surveys that included COVID-19 items. Sixty percent of our sample had experienced at least one potentially traumatic lifetime event, with 22% of our sample experiencing two or more of the included exposures. Women with a trauma history had 3.5 times increased odds of reporting their mental health as "much worse" compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.06-11.75) and were more likely to report that COVID-19 negatively affected their mental or emotional health "a lot" compared with women without a trauma history (odds ratio: 8.5; 95% CI: 1.93-37.48). Conclusions: COVID-19 has had a significant impact on pregnant and postpartum Veterans' mental health. Obstetricians should consider strategies to ensure women have access to mental health care during pregnancy, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Hospitals should also consider the importance of labor support companions during the COVID-19 pandemic and examine adjusting policies to allow for at least one labor support companion during labor and delivery.