Residents’ Training in COVID-19 Pandemic Times: An Integrated Survey of Educational Process, Institutional Support, Anxiety and Depression by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS)

Abstract

In late December of 2019, the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was first reported in the city of Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province in China, and was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. Globally, as of 8 July 2020, there have been 11,669,259 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 539,906 deaths. In Saudi Arabia, the confirmed cases have already reached 223,327, with 161,096 patients confirmed to have recovered, and 2100 deaths. This study aims to determine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the training programs of the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) and assess trainees’ mental health status (i.e., anxiety and depression). Trainee evaluations on training programs were also sought in order to obtain insights for strategic planning necessary for curricular modifications or improvements to address the clinical learning needs of trainees during this pandemic. The main contribution of our work is an investigation of the incidence of depression and anxiety regarding COVID-19 within the community of residents and fellows. Furthermore, we elaborate on key responsive actions towards the enhancement of the mental health of trainees. Last but not least, we propose the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) Model for Residents’ Mental Health Enhancement during the COVID-19 Pandemic, which consists of five integrative value layers for medical education and training, namely: the knowledge creation process and innovation; technological capabilities for personalized medicine and patient-centric healthcare with a social impact; innovative applications of technology-enhanced learning and web-based active learning approaches for medical training and education; residents’ wellbeing and the impact of COVID-19 in strategic layers. In our future work, we intend to enhance the proposed framework with studies on trainee satisfaction and the efficiency of different technology-enhanced learning platforms for medical education.

Anxiety and depression symptoms among medical residents in KSA during the COVID-19 pandemic

“… 16 A previous similar study among residents in KSA by the SCFHS has shown comparable numbers, wherein more than half of the residents had depression and anxiety symptoms. 10 However, the previous study did not assess the association between trainees’ medical specialties and the prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms.…”

“…The sample size was calculated with a confidence interval (CI) of 95% and a 5% margin of error with a prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms (60.1% and 66.6%, respectively), 10 with a diagnostic threshold of ten or more, on the basis of a recent study among residents in KSA during the COVID-19 pandemic. 10 The estimated minimum sample size required was 369.…”

“… 9 Medical residents have been compared to soldiers on the frontline during the combat of the COVID-19 pandemic; they have been in direct contact with patients with COVID-19 at their training hospitals, thereby increasing stress levels and workloads. 10 Being in contact with patients with COVID-19 is a relevant predictor of anxiety and depression. 11 Data on anxiety and depression symptoms among medical residents in KSA during the COVID-19 pandemic are limited, despite the tremendous need for such information.…”

Effectiveness and Preparedness of Institutions' E-Learning Methods During the COVID-19 Pandemic for Residents' Medical Training in Saudi Arabia: A Pilot Study

“…In the Saudi Commission for the Health Specialties (SCFHS), we recently delivered an integrated research related to the evaluation of Residents' Training in COVID-19 Pandemic Times with an emphasis on Educational Process, Institutional Support, Anxiety, and Depression ( 6 ). The assessment of e-learning delivery in this study can be also exploited in the direction of informing our recently published set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Sustainable Post-graduate Medical Training: toward the Implementation of an Innovative Approach to Advance the Quality of Training Programs at the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) ( 7 ).…”

Job Quality and Well-Being in Oecd Countries

“…As a result, they got one of the highest numbers of sanitary workers infected by the COVID-19 worldwide. The adaptive component in healthcare systems is increasingly needed to improve their current keys dilemmas: depth versus breadth, selection versus configuration, and accuracy versus transparency (Spruit & Lytras, 2018;Alsaywid et al, 2020). The fright to the disease and the unsafeness in the work environment took place at the same time that a lot of people were losing their jobs and were becoming economically and socially vulnerable.…”