Healthcare Workers’ Burdens During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Systematic Review

Abstract

Background:The global healthcare system is continuing to confront major challenges during the current COVID-19 pandemic, with the second wave the deadliest one to date. This study aimed to identify and explore the challenges and burdens of frontline healthcare workers during the current pandemic, and to help prepare workforce support plans for them now and in the future. Methods: A qualitative systematic review method involving thematic synthesis without meta-analysis was used to analyze relevant studies from five databases from November 2020 to February 2021: MEDLINE via PubMed, CINAHL Complete, Embase through Ovid, Scopus, and Web of Science. The quality of the studies was evaluated using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program Qualitative Research Checklist appraisal tools. This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA statement. The informants are healthcare workers working at the frontlines and providing care to COVID-19 patients. Results: Ten studies revealed the burden of healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic, with having the related challenges experienced by 498 participants (doctors, nurses, pediatric nurses, paramedical staff, support staff, and physiotherapists). Our findings fell into four main themes as follows: inadequate preparedness; emotional challenges; insufficient equipment and information; and work burnout. Conclusion:The study results demonstrate that the COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on all aspects of life, especially for healthcare providers, who work on the frontlines. The pandemic has affected the frontline workers' physical and psychological health, causing them to experience emotional distress such as fear, anxiety, depression, and stress. In addition, the pandemic can increase posttraumatic stress disorder, leading to burnout and discontinuity of healthcare workloads to ensure the patients' safety and the high quality of care provided to the patients.

“Well, I Signed Up to Be a Soldier; I Have Been Trained and Equipped Well”: Exploring Healthcare Workers’ Experiences during COVID-19 Organizational Changes in Singapore, from the First Wave to the Path towards Endemicity

“…In addition, our findings are broadly consistent with a recent systematic review [33], where, for example, burnout was identified as an overarching, cross-cutting theme. The current study is nevertheless unique in exploring a highly adaptive system that was demonstrated to have reacted very successfully during the crisis itself; it also adds a theoretical formulation and mapping of findings for future development and testing to help guide planning and policy.…”

Psychological distress of frontline healthcare workers in the intensive care unit during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study from China

“…A recently published systematic review mentioned that inadequate preparedness for and the unknown information about COVID-19 was the main reason for the accumulation of negative emotions. 6 At the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, a study 15 found that about one-third (342/994) of the healthcare providers in Wuhan, China had significant mental health disturbances. Among them, 6.2% (62 of 994) had severe disturbances.…”

“…In addition, the pandemic increases post-traumatic stress disorder, leading to burnout and interruption of medical work. 6 A meta-analysis with 21 studies shows an urgent need for interventions to prevent or reduce the mental health problems of intensive care unit (ICU) medical staff caused by COVID-19. 7 The results of two systematic reviews also indicate that nurses working on the frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic have experienced psychological, social and emotional distress in coping with work demands, social relationships and their personal lives.…”

Difficulties of healthcare workers encountered under cohort isolation in a psychiatric hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study

“…There are numerous qualitative studies about HCWs’ psychology under COVID-19 pandemic conditions. ( Billings et al., 2021 ; Koontalay et al., 2021 ) But as mentioned in introduction, there is no study about cohort isolated HCWs who work in the psychiatric hospital. We found a qualitative study about HCWs’ experiences in cohort isolation units because of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales infection prevention.…”