How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted Polish urologists? Results from a national survey

Abstract

Introduction Poland was initially less affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, however, severe restrictions, and health care restructuration have impacted all areas of medicine, including urology. Therefore, we aimed, via an online survey, to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Polish urologists and urology residents. Material and methods Between May 15 and June 6, 2020, 229 (28.63% response rate) urologists and urology residents responded to a 28-question online survey. The questionnaire analyzed basic demographic and professional characteristics, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physicians' everyday work, mental status as well as private life. We further compared the differences between the selected subgroups. Results Nearly all (96.5%) responders claimed that the pandemic had a moderate to high impact on their everyday clinical practice with the majority of the residents (62.0%) believing that the COVID-19 pandemic will harm their training. Most responders (86.9%) reported over 25% declines in outpatient clinic consultations and 55.9% claimed that their income dropped over 25%. Only 38.9% wanted telemedicine to permanently replace some of the consultations after the pandemic, with residents being significantly more positive about this modality (51.4% vs. 33.1%; p = 0.01). Interestingly, 79.9% noticed the negative psychological effect of the pandemic on their colleagues, and 57.6% felt increased anxiety, sadness, or stress. Conclusions This study revealed the complaints and needs of Polish urologists and urology residents after the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. There was a significantly negative impact on their work, mental health, and private life.

Effects of first year COVID-19 pandemic on urology practice in three major Arab Countries: Sub-Analysis of a survey by Arab association of urology research group

“…In our study, more than one-third of elective surgeries were postponed in Egypt and the UAE, compared to half in the KSA. This finding is consistent with the recommendations of international organizations and the measures adopted to mitigate the negative impacts of the COVID-19 epidemic [ 19 – 21 ]. Most Saudi governmental hospitals applied these measures [ 22 ].…”

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Urology Residents: a Narrative Review

“…In a survey of Polish attending and resident urologists, almost 80% of respondents noticed that the pandemic had negative psychological effects on their colleagues, with 57.6% reported feeling increased sadness, anxiety, or increased stress levels and > 75% indicating a negative impact on family relations [ 29 ]. Respondents were mostly distressed due to the uncertainty regarding the duration of the pandemic (68.56%), implemented restrictions (51.97%), and the possibility of exposing relatives to COVID-19 (51.53%) [ 29 ]. Almost all (96.5%) respondents believe the pandemic had a moderate to high impact on their everyday clinical practice, and a majority of residents (62%) felt that the pandemic would harm their training [ 29 ].…”

“…Respondents were mostly distressed due to the uncertainty regarding the duration of the pandemic (68.56%), implemented restrictions (51.97%), and the possibility of exposing relatives to COVID-19 (51.53%) [ 29 ]. Almost all (96.5%) respondents believe the pandemic had a moderate to high impact on their everyday clinical practice, and a majority of residents (62%) felt that the pandemic would harm their training [ 29 ]. A systematic review from August 2020 analyzing mental health issues among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed a pooled prevalence rate of anxiety of 22.8% across 12 different studies [ 30 ].…”

Polish ophthalmology residents’ perspectives from the battlefield in the time of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: an online survey

“…In many countries in Europe and around the world, COVID-19-related surveys have already been conducted among residents of ophthalmology [7,8] and other specialties, such as surgery [9], urology, [10] and anaesthesiology. Although the above-mentioned medical staff are not directly involved in the fight against the pandemic, the surveys revealed that the pandemic had a significant impact on the course of residency and the functioning of their departments [11,12]. We decided to use a survey for this study, the aim of which was to collect the opinions of ophthalmology residents on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their working conditions, mental health, and specialisation training.…”