Articles: pandemics.
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There is a paucity of data on the mental health impact of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on United States (US) healthcare workers (HCWs) after the first surge in the spring of 2020. ⋯ US HCWs experienced significant mental health symptoms eight months into the pandemic. More time spent providing in-person care to COVID-19-infected patients and greater COVID-19-related concerns were consistently associated with worse mental health.
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Telemedicine has become indispensable in today's health care because of the recent ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Although it has been beneficial in coping with the pandemic, there is still much uncertainty as to whether it will have a permanent role in treating spine patients. Some of the ongoing legal challenges include patient confidentiality, liability coverage for treating healthcare workers, and financial reimbursements by insurance companies. ⋯ Moreover, without parity and uniformity, the incentive to offer telehealth services decreases. There may be a need for modifications in the law, insurance policies, and medical malpractice coverage to strengthen their support to telemedicine usage. As spine surgeons become more familiarized with the telemedicine framework, its role in patient care will likely expand.
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Annals of family medicine · Apr 2022
Observational StudyEthnic disparities in the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 testing positivity comparing Hispanic and non-Hispanic populations.
Context: The Hispanics make up the largest ethnic minority in the United States (US). Hispanics have lower all-cause mortality and many chronic disease morbidities, despite lower socioeconomic status (SES), and barriers to health care. Whether this phenomenon, termed as the "Hispanic Paradox", holds during an infectious disease pandemic, warrants investigation. ⋯ Multivariate analysis showed that older age, male sex (OR = 1.42, p = 0.000), being symptomatic (OR = 6.03, 95% CI: 5.31-6.85), having no insurance (OR = 1.34, p = 0.041), obesity (OR = 1.18, p = 0.002), and Hispanic ethnicity (OR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.16-1.82) were associated with higher likelihood of viral positivity, whilst being White (OR = 0.68, p = 0.000), having cancer (OR = 0.69, p = 0.005) or COPD (OR = 0.69, p = 0.000) were associated with lower test positivity. Conclusion: We found ethnic and racial disparities in COVID-19 viral positivity rates. The diminishing Hispanic Paradox warrants further investigation into SES, cultural, and behavioral factors.
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Annals of family medicine · Apr 2022
PPE portraits: patient and clinician experiences at a COVID-19 testing site.
Context: The COVID-19 pandemic mandated personal protective equipment (PPE) in healthcare settings, obscuring clinician faces and expressions, and depersonalizing patient care experiences. PPE Portraits (affixing a clinician's photo to the front of PPE) was first introduced in 2015 during the West Africa Ebola epidemic, and has been shown to help maintain patient-provider connection at times when patients may be fearful, isolated, and unable to identify clinicians caring for them. Objective: To evaluate patient and clinician experiences with PPE Portraits. ⋯ Conclusion: PPE Portraits humanized the COVID-19 testing experiences for patients and clinicians during a time of fear. Clinicians recommended PPE Portraits for other healthcare settings that require PPE. Future research could assess how PPE Portraits promote patient-provider connection and trust.
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Introduction The novel coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19) has spread rapidly with vast global implications. This study assessed how family physicians in Kansas responded to COVID-19 and the effects of the pandemic on the physicians' well-being. Methods. ⋯ Our findings demonstrate that the COVID-19 pandemic may be taking an emotional toll on family physicians in Kansas. This study provides a baseline from which to continue further monitoring of outcomes such as burnout, depression, anxiety, and stress, to determine the need for interventions, and influence the implementation of programs to support physician wellness. These data can help drive wellness and mental health support initiatives at local, state, and national levels to help diminish the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physicians.