ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION AND AIM: COVID-19 pandemic has disturbed many hospital activities, including medical education. We describe the switch from in-person didactic sessions to videoconferencing in a Neurology department. We analyse the opinions and satisfaction of participants. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Narrative description of the adopted measures; Online survey among participants. RESULTS: One of the three weekly sessions was cancelled, and two switched to videoconferencing. There were more participants online than in the conference hall. 49 users answered the survey, 51% women, mean age 40.5 years (range 25-65). Satisfaction was higher for previous face-to-face meetings (8.68) than for videoconferencing (8.12) (p=0.006). There was a significant inverse correlation between age and satisfaction with virtual sessions (r=-0.37; p=0.01), that was not found for in-person attendance. Most users (75.5%) would prefer to continue with online sessions when the pandemic is over, and 87.8% support inter-hospital remote meetings, but the safety of web platforms is a concern (53.1%). CONCLUSIONS: The change from in-person to virtual sessions is an easy measure to implement in a neurology department, with a good degree of satisfaction among users. There are some unsolved problems with the use of commercial web platforms and inter-hospital connection. Most users recommend leadership and support from educational and health authorities.
TITLE: Cambio de sesiones docentes presenciales a virtuales durante la pandemia de COVID-19 en un servicio de neurología: descripción del proceso y satisfacción de los usuarios.Introducción y objetivo. La pandemia de COVID-19 ha trastornado la actividad hospitalaria, incluyendo la docente. Se describe el cambio de un sistema presencial a otro de sesiones en línea en un servicio de neurología, y se analizan la satisfacción y las opiniones de los usuarios. Material y métodos. Exposición de las medidas adoptadas para pasar a modalidad en línea y análisis de una encuesta entre los participantes. Resultados. Se pasó de tres a dos sesiones semanales, con restricción del público presencial. El público virtual superó al presencial. Contestaron la encuesta 49 participantes, un 51% mujeres, con una media de 40,5 años (rango: 25-65). La satisfacción de los asistentes fue mayor para las sesiones presenciales (8,68) que para las en línea (8,12) (p = 0,006). Existía una correlación inversa significativa entre la edad y la satisfacción con las sesiones en línea (r = 0,37; p = 0,01) que no se daba para las sesiones presenciales. El 75,5% fue partidario de mantener las sesiones virtuales cuando se eliminaran las restricciones de aforo. Una mayoría (87,8%) apoyó sesiones interhospitalarias y recomienda que las autoridades sanitarias faciliten aplicaciones informáticas seguras (53,1%). Conclusiones. La introducción de sesiones virtuales es una medida fácil de implementar en un servicio de neurología, con un alto grado de satisfacción de los usuarios, aunque menor que con las sesiones presenciales. Existen problemas no resueltos respecto al uso de plataformas comerciales y conexión interhospitalaria. Sería recomendable que las autoridades sanitarias y educativas desarrollaran aplicaciones seguras y fomentaran la educación médica en línea.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Consumer Behavior , Education, Medical, Continuing/methods , Education, Medical, Graduate/methods , Neurology/education , Pandemics , Videoconferencing , Adult , Aged , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Hospital Departments , Hospitals, University , Humans , Internship and Residency , Male , Middle Aged , Neurologists/education , Neurologists/psychology , Patient Handoff , Students, Medical/psychology , Surveys and Questionnaires , Videoconferencing/instrumentation , Videoconferencing/statistics & numerical dataABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused rapid changes in the healthcare system. Workforce reorganization, reduced standard of care and a lack of personal protection equipment (PPE) for health care workers were among the concerns raised in the first wave of the pandemic. Our aim was to explore the experiences, distress and burden among Norwegian neurologists during the first weeks of the pandemic. METHODS: Hospital-based neurologists in Norway (n = 400) were invited to a web-based survey in April 2020. The study focused on patient management, organizational changes and personal stress during the first weeks of the pandemic lockdown. Work-home interface stress was assessed by the Cooper Job Stress Questionnaire. RESULTS: In total, 135 neurologists participated. Seventy-three% experienced a change in their personal work situation, and 67% examined patients with suspected COVID-19 infection and neurological disease. Changed access to resources, and the perception that medical follow-up was unsatisfactory, were associated with a high degree of burden and stress. Neurologists were also worried about the potential lack of PPE and the fear of spreading SARS CoV-2 to close family members. The mean score of work-home interface stress was 2.8 with no significant differences between gender or specialist status. Reduced standard of care was reported for all neurological conditions, and in particular for non-emergency treatments. CONCLUSION: The vast majority of neurologists in Norway experienced a change in their personal work situation during the first phase of the pandemic. The fear of becoming infected and ill was not a major contributor to burden and stress.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Neurologists , Occupational Stress/etiology , Psychological Distress , Adult , COVID-19/epidemiology , Communicable Disease Control , Female , Health Personnel , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Neurologists/psychology , Norway/epidemiology , Occupational Stress/psychology , Pandemics , Patient Care , Surveys and Questionnaires , WorkforceABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic enforced an almost complete switch from face-to-face clinical work to tele-neurology. This study explores neurologists' perceptions of telephone and videophone remote consultations. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with neurologists and a GP with a specialist interest (n = 22). Interviews were conducted remotely via Zoom®, audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using the principles of thematic analysis. RESULTS: Four main themes emerged: 'unknown unknowns (risks/uncertainties)', 'better service', 'challenges', and 'beyond the pandemic'. Thematic saturation was achieved by interview 19. Participants highlighted a number of benefits of remote consultations but over 80% also complained of a reduction in work satisfaction. CONCLUSION: The sudden introduction of tele-neurology is unlikely to be fully reversed when pandemic-related restrictions have been lifted. However, this study confirms tele-neurology cannot completely replace face-to-face consultations. Some patient groups and consultation types require direct contact. Moreover, significant administrative and infrastructural investment will be required to develop the full potential of tele-neurology. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Tele-medicine is capable of improving access and efficiency of specialist neurology services, but limited by lack of non-verbal communication and technical problems. It could enhance service provision with sufficient infrastructural and administrative investment, but may reduce neurologists' job statisfaction.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Neurologists/psychology , Neurology/methods , Telemedicine/methods , Humans , Interviews as Topic , Pandemics , Perception , Qualitative Research , SARS-CoV-2 , VideoconferencingABSTRACT
AIM: To date, to our knowledge there are no studies regarding attitudes and experiences of outpatient medical personnel during a pandemic. This study's aim was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 on German psychiatrists and neurologists. METHODS: An e-mail and fax-based short survey of 2,072 practice-based psychiatrists and neurologists was performed including Likert-type questions on personal burden and concerns, anticipated risk of infection, practice management as well as anxiety and sleep problems. RESULTS: 396 physicians returned the questionnaire (19â%). More than 60â% of the participants felt restricted strongly or very strongly, more than 30â% were strongly and very strongly concerned. They anticipated a high own risk of infection. However, 91â% did not report any contact with patients positively screened for COVID-19, which they were aware of. One third felt financially threatened and loss of business volume was anticipated. 18â% reported, that the pandemic triggers substantial anxiety. Sleep problems, which occur at least almost every night, were rarely reported (9â%). CONCLUSION: Practice-based psychiatrists and neurologists are negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.