The work and socioeconomic burden of emergency physicians in the COVID-19 pandemic: 2020 Korean Emergency Physician Survey

¹Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea
²Department of Emergency Medicine, Kyung Hee University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
³Department of Emergency Medicine, Nowon Eulji Medical Center, Eulji University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
⁴Department of Emergency Medicine, Myongji Hospital, Goyang, Korea
⁵Department of Emergency Medicine, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea
⁶Department of Medical Education, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea
⁷Department of Emergency Medicine, Wonju Severance Christian Hospital, Wouju, Korea
⁸Department of Emergency Medicine, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea
⁹Department of Emergency Medicine, KS Hospital, Gwangju, Korea
¹⁰Department of Emergency Medicine, Yeouido St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
¹¹Department of Emergency Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital, Seoul, Korea
¹²Department of Emergency Medicine, Korea University Guro Hospital, Seoul, Korea
¹³Department of Emergency Medicine, Yeosu Jeonnam Hospital, Yeosu, Korea
¹⁴Department of Emergency Medicine, Hwahong Hospital, Suwon, Korea
¹⁵Department of Emergency Medicine, Gyeongsang National University Changwon Hospital, Changwon, Korea
¹⁶Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Ulsan, Korea

Correspondence

Mi Jin Lee ,Tel: 053-420-6400, Fax: 053-428-2820, Email: emmam@knu.ac.kr,

Received: June 29, 2021; Revised: September 6, 2021 Accepted: September 9, 2021. Published online: August 31, 2022.

ABSTRACT

Objective:
This study evaluated the anxiety, work, and socioeconomic burden of emergency physicians (EP) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in South Korea.
Method:
A cross-sectional observational study was conducted using data from the 2020 Korean Emergency Physician Survey that included the following domains: hospital resources of suspected COVID-19 patients, availability of personal protective equipment, levels of home and workplace anxiety, the severity of work burnout, identification of stressors, changes in personal environments, and measures to decrease stress/anxiety.
Results:
Totally, 855 eligible participants were enrolled in the study. A statistically significant deterioration was observed in response to decreased working income or an unstable employment situation (0.46±0.88 points). The median number of patients with confirmed COVID-19 was 2.72. The risk of infection during emergency department (ED) work was found to be significantly increased (P<0.01). Of the 751 respondents (91.4%) who reported patient contact during their survey phase, 516 (62.8%) reported having taken the COVID-19 reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test. The major factors that affected worsening of the work burden were determined to be unsuitable inter-hospital transfer arrangements for febrile patients (3.46±1.06 before vs. 1.99±1.16 after the pandemic, P<0.01) and delayed consultation for patients with fever or respiratory symptoms in the ED (3.20±1.06 before vs. 2.66±1.10 after the pandemic, P<0.01).
Conclusion:
During the peak phase, the COVID-19 pandemic induced substantial workplace and socioeconomic burdens for Korean EPs. The sustained impact of the pandemic on the wellness of EPs deserves further investigation to guide targeted interventions.

Key words: COVID-19; Stress; Quality of life; Emergency physician; Survey