A survey among physicians in surgery and anesthesiology departments after the first surge of SARS-CoV-2 infections in Germany : Preparing for further challenges ahead.
Wien Klin Wochenschr
; 134(9-10): 361-370, 2022 May.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1640856
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
The SARS-CoV2 pandemic has extensively challenged healthcare systems all over the world. Many elective operations were postponed or cancelled, changing priorities and workflows in surgery departments.AIMS:
The primary aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the workload and psychosocial burden of surgeons and anesthesiologists, working in German hospitals during the first wave of SARS-CoV2 infections in 2020.METHODS:
Quantitative online survey on the workplace situation including psychosocial and work-related stress factors among resident and board-certified surgeons and anesthesiologists. Physicians in German hospitals across all levels of healthcare were contacted via departments, professional associations and social media posts.RESULTS:
Among 154 total study participants, 54% of respondents stated a lack of personal protective equipment in their own wards and 56% reported increased staff shortages since the onset of the pandemic. While routine practice was reported as fully resumed in 71% of surgery departments at the time of the survey, work-related dissatisfaction among responding surgeons and anesthesiologists increased from 24% before the pandemic to 36% after the first wave of infections. As a countermeasure, 94% of participants deemed the establishment of action plans to increase pandemic preparedness and strengthening German public health systems a useful measure to respond to current challenges.CONCLUSION:
The aftermath of the first wave of SARS-CoV2 infections in Germany has left the surgical staff strained, despite temporarily decreased workloads. Overall, a critical review of the altered conditions is indispensable to identify and promote effective solutions and prudent action plans required to address imminent challenges.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Physicians
/
COVID-19
/
Anesthesiology
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Randomized controlled trials
/
Reviews
Limits:
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
Europa
Language:
English
Journal:
Wien Klin Wochenschr
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
S00508-021-02000-z
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