Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Resident Physician Clinical and Educational Work Hours at a Large Sponsoring Institution

Abstract

Background The COVID-19 pandemic affected graduate medical education (GME) by decreasing elective procedures and disrupting didactic learning activities in 2020. Editorials have hypothesized that resident physicians worked fewer hours, therefore losing valuable experience, but we are not aware of studies that have objectively assessed changes in hours worked. Objective This study aims to identify differences secondary to the COVID-19 pandemic in resident work hours across all specialties at 3 geographically dispersed, integrated academic hospitals in a large sponsoring institution. Methods We obtained de-identified work hour data from all residency programs at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, Florida, and Minnesota. Resident work hours were compared between 2020 and 2019 from March to May. Results Work hours for 1149 and 1118 residents during the pandemic and control periods respectively were compared. Decreases in resident work hours were seen, with the largest decrease demonstrated in April 2020 when 19 of 43 programs demonstrated significantly decreased work hours. Residents worked more hours from home in April 2020 compared to the previous year (Arizona: mean 1 hour in 2019 vs 5.2 hours in 2020, P<.001; Florida: mean 0.7 hour in 2019 vs 6.5 hours in 2020, P<.001; Minnesota: mean 0.8 hour in 2019 vs 10.2 hours in 2020, P<.001). Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a decrease in work hours in some, but not all, specialties. The decrease in on-site work was only partially offset by an increased number of hours worked from home.

Association of the COVID-19 Pandemic on VA Resident and Fellow Training Satisfaction and Future VA Employment: A Mixed Methods Study

“…Similar to previous literature outside the VA, these findings demonstrate that the pandemic's impact on graduate medical education and training resulted in decreased satsifaction 11,12 and reduced trainees' learning opportunities. 3,5,6 These findings reinforce previous study outcomes on a national scale. While statistically significant, the declines in education and training were apparent, but not large, and suggest trainees' resilience and desire to persevere in their chosen profession despite the new challenges brought about by COVID-19.…”

“…Outside the VA, literature has shown that trainees' learning experiences have been altered and even negatively impacted due to cancelled or postponed rotations and surgical 3,4 and other elective procedures in specialties such as dermatology 5 and otolaryngology, 6 and overall decreased work hours. 3 The pandemic also took a toll on trainees' psychological well-being, making them more vulnerable to depression and burnout, 3,[6][7][8] psychological distress, 9 social fear, 10 anxiety, 8,11 or depersonalization 8,11 compared to their peers prior to the pandemic. Overall, the pandemic also impacted trainees' satisfaction 11,12 and likelihood of future employment.…”

“…[7][8][9] The samples in these studies were typically small 11 or only included data from after April 2020. 3,[6][7][8]11 Researchers from the Veterans Emergency Management Evaluation Center investigated whether and how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted learning experiences for trainees and explored approaches to mitigate lost learning opportunities. The current study investigates satisfaction with VA training experience and the likelihood of trainees to consider future VA employment before and during the COVID-19 pandemic for a national sample of residents and fellows from multiple specialties and programs.…”

Experiences of family and community care physicians and nurse residents in Madrid regarding their training during the COVID-19 pandemic: A Photovoice study

“…This reassignment to different services affected family and community medicine residents more than other specialties because of their more transversal and multidisciplinary training, allowing them to perform professionally in primary care centers, hospitals, and out-of-hospital.emergency services. All of this was associated with an increase in work hours, which resulted in less time dedicated to specialty training, similar to what has been described in other studies [47,49,50], but other studies conducted in the United States reported a decrease in face-to-face working hours in some specialties [51], which in some cases was partially compensated by an increase in the number of hours worked from home [52].…”