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ABSTRACT: Objective
The COVID-19 pandemic places an enormous demand on physicians around the world. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physicians' work experiences and their ability and willingness to continue working in their profession until retirement (ie, their employability).Design
A longitudinal comparative design was used. Survey data were collected on three moments: before (May 2019), in the early phase (May 2020) and in a later phase (November 2020) of the COVID-19 pandemic. Time effects were tested using repeated-measures analyses of variance and one-way analyses of variance.Setting
This study took place among physicians of two hospitals in a large city in the Netherlands.Participants
165 hospital physicians with surgical, medical and other specialties participated in this study.Results
Physicians' employability significantly increased from the time prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, compared with the period during this pandemic. Employability differs among physicians with surgical, medical and other specialties. Furthermore, physicians experienced a lower emotional, physical and quantitative workload during the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, compared with before the pandemic. Moreover, physicians experienced the most stress from the impact of COVID-19 on their work in general and from combining work and private life.Conclusions
This study shows that physicians' employability and work experiences are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Work experiences vary for physicians with different specialties. These varieties stress the importance of attention for physicians' individual needs and challenges regarding working during the COVID-19 pandemic and the possibility of continuing work in the aftermath of this crisis. Based on this, physicians can be offered tailor-made solutions. This is important to maintain a healthy and employable workforce, which is essential for a sustainable healthcare system.
SUBMITTER: Leeuwen EHV
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8646962 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature