Clinicians are experiencing an increase in anxiety, according to survey results released by LocumTenens.com. The 2020 Covid-19 Physician and Advanced Practitioner Survey found more than half of respondents, 52%, have experienced an increase in stress, burnout or mental health issues due to Covid-19.
Sixty-one percent of the women surveyed reported an increase in stress due to the pandemic compared to 43% of the men; respondents in hospital medicine and primary care reported the highest increase in stress, burnout or mental health issues due to Covid-19 — 57% and 55%, respectively — followed closely by those in anesthesia, psychiatry and OB/GYN.
Further, 61% of respondents expect to see more mental health issues arise in their patients and many are already seeing it.
“As providers across the country address the immediate demands from the pandemic, another crisis is revealing itself,” said Chris Franklin, president of LocumTenens.com. “Our healthcare providers are working tirelessly to help patients manage their skyrocketing anxiety levels, while simultaneously trying to manage their own.”
Additional findings include:
Telehealth on the rise. Nearly three-quarters of respondents, 74%, reported they or their organizations have increased their use of telehealth services since the beginning of the pandemic.
However, with behavioral health issues on the rise, 58% said they are unsure how their organizations will be equipped to care for an expected surge in mental health patients; 21% said they will institute telemedicine programs.
Delayed patient care causes worry. One of the greatest concerns many clinicians have is that their patients’ health will deteriorate due to avoiding or delaying routine or preventive care, according to the report. Seventy-one percent of respondents saw at least a 25% decrease in patients coming in for preventive care, and 57% noted at least a 50% decrease. The majority of respondents, 78%, said patient fear of Covid-19 was the main reason they saw a decrease in appointments. In addition, 63% said their own practices canceled appointments over the same fears.
Clinician unemployment. With elective procedures on hold and reduced healthcare visits overall, more than half of respondents, 64%, said their organization experienced either furloughs or layoffs due to Covid-19. The length of time respondents had practiced medicine had no bearing on if they lost their jobs, revealing clinicians at all experience levels were affected the same when it came to layoffs and furloughs. More than half of respondents from emergency medicine (67%), primary care (56%) and anesthesia (63%) reported they were part of organizations that either laid off staff, furloughed them or both. The survey also found that independent practice owners are especially anxious about their fields, with 87% expressing concern for the future of their practices.
The survey was conducted in June 2020 among healthcare professionals including physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, CRNAs, clinical nurse midwives, clinical nurse specialists and psychologist. A total of 940 respondents spanning all 50 states and 35 medical/surgical specialties self-selected participation in the survey.
