Espen Saxhaug Kristoffersen1,2, Bendik Slagsvold Winsvold3,4, Else Charlotte Sandset4,5, Anette Margrethe Storstein6, Kashif Waqar Faiz1. 1. Department of Neurology, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway. 2. Department of General Practice, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. 3. Department of Research, Innovation and Education, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. 4. Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. 5. The Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation, Oslo, Norway. 6. Department of Neurology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
Abstract
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.
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-19infection 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.
Authors: Elena Fonseca; Manuel Quintana; Sofía Lallana; Juan Luis Restrepo; Laura Abraira; Estevo Santamarina; Iván Seijo-Raposo; Manuel Toledo Journal: Acta Neurol Scand Date: 2020-09-06 Impact factor: 3.915
Authors: Yasuhiko Deguchi; Shinichi Iwasaki; Akihiro Niki; Aya Kadowaki; Tomoyuki Hirota; Yoshiki Shirahama; Yoko Nakamichi; Yutaro Okawa; Yuki Uesaka; Koki Inoue Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-01-16 Impact factor: 3.390