Healthcare providers' perceived support from their organization is associated with lower burnout and anxiety amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Professional burnout represents a significant threat to the American healthcare system. Organizational and individual factors may increase healthcare providers' susceptibility or resistance to burnout. We hypothesized that during the COVID-19 pandemic, 1) higher levels of perceived organizational support (POS) are associated with lower risk for burnout and anxiety, and 2) anxiety mediates the association between POS and burnout. METHODS: In this longitudinal prospective study, we surveyed healthcare providers employed full-time at a large, multihospital healthcare system monthly over 6 months (April to November 2020). Participants were randomized using a 1:1 allocation stratified by provider type, gender, and academic hospital status to receive one of two versions of the survey instrument formulated with different ordering of the measures to minimize response bias due to context effects. The exposure of interest was POS measured using the validated 8-item Survey of POS (SPOS) scale. Primary outcomes of interest were anxiety and risk for burnout as measured by the validated 10-item Burnout scale from the Professional Quality (Pro-QOL) instrument and 4-item Emotional Distress-Anxiety short form of the Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) scale, respectively. Linear mixed models evaluated the associations between POS and both burnout and anxiety. A mediation analysis evaluated whether anxiety mediated the POS-burnout association. RESULTS: Of the 538 participants recruited, 402 (75%) were included in the primary analysis. 55% of participants were physicians, 73% 25-44 years of age, 73% female, 83% White, and 44% had ≥1 dependent. Higher POS was significantly associated with a lower risk for burnout (-0.23; 95% CI -0.26, -0.21; p<0.001) and lower degree of anxiety (-0.07; 95% CI -0.09, -0.06; p = 0.010). Anxiety mediated the associated between POS and burnout (direct effect -0.17; 95% CI -0.21, -0.13; p<0.001; total effect -0.23; 95% CI -0.28, -0.19; p<0.001). CONCLUSION: During a health crisis, increasing the organizational support perceived by healthcare employees may reduce the risk for burnout through a reduction in anxiety. Improving the relationship between healthcare organizations and the individuals they employ may reduce detrimental effects of psychological distress among healthcare providers and ultimately improve patient care.

Telerounding Has Clinical Value and Enables the Busy Surgeon: A Colorectal Surgeon's Ten-Year Experience.

BACKGROUND: Study of telemedicine and telerounding in surgical specialties is limited. The push for telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the face-to-face rounding paradigm and creates an opportunity for reflection on the benefits of telemedicine, especially for balancing competing corporate and clinical demands. METHODS: The 117-month video-based inpatient telerounding experience of a colorectal surgeon in an academic medical system was recorded, including patient characteristics, diagnoses, technology, content of telerounding encounters, and logistical considerations. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: 163 patients were seen in 201 telerounding encounters, primarily for routine postoperative care (90.5%). Most were admitted for inflammatory bowel disease (63.2%). Changes were made to plans of care during 28.9% of encounters, and discharge planning was part of 26.4%. Encounters were conducted primarily from the surgeon's administrative office (68.7%) or other work-related locations (10.9%), while 6.5% originated from the surgeon's home. Technologic issues occurred in 5.5% of encounters. 89.1% of patient feedback was positive and none was negative. CONCLUSION: Telerounding is technologically feasible and has clinical value, including for patients with complex surgical problems. Technologic problems are rare and patient satisfaction is high. Surgeons should consider telerounding as a means to balance competing demands.