Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals working in otolaryngology: a cross-sectional survey.

OBJECTIVE

The COVID-19 pandemic is caused by the highly infectious and transmissible SARS-CoV-2 virus. Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (OHNS) practice is at high risk of transmission and subsequently affected by guideline changes and procedure cancellations or postponements. We aimed to gather opinions regarding the pandemic's personal and professional impact from OHNS professionals globally.

STUDY DESIGN/

SETTING

A cross-sectional survey was developed and administered using snowball sampling for surgical staff, trainees, and connected allied health workers in OHNS globally in May 2021.

METHODS

Item generation was developed via selection of measures from an existing global perspectives survey with additional measures piloted by clinical context experts, service providers, and researchers.

RESULTS

The majority of the 452 total responses were collected from the Americas (68.9%) and identified as female (64.4%). The most commonly reported workplace challenge was fear of illness (21.1%). Respondents generally favoured policies implemented by local health authorities (69.7%) but believed that policies were implemented too late (49.6%). Three main themes surfaced: 1) Unclear guidelines for allied OHNS professionals, 2) Fear regarding COVID-19 transmission due to varied understanding of transmission and PPE adoption, and 3) Resilience of OHNS workers despite continued professional and personal challenges.

CONCLUSION

Individuals reported generalized fear and frustration in their personal and professional lives due to COVID-19 pandemic. However, they exhibited agility to overcome these challenges. Ongoing support from government and OHNS societies is key to aid health professionals providing essential care.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 4, cohort cross-sectional survey.