Heard, valued, supported? Doctors' wellbeing during transitions triggered by COVID-19

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Psychology
• Sociology

Background:

• Doctor wellbeing is crucial for medical education and workforce retention.
• Limited research exists on how doctors' transition experiences impact social and cultural wellbeing.
• Multiple Multidimensional Transitions (MMT) theory provides a framework for understanding dynamic transitions across contexts and domains.

Purpose of the Study:

• To qualitatively analyze the impact of pandemic-induced transitions on doctors' social and cultural wellbeing.
• To apply the Multiple Multidimensional Transitions (MMT) theory to understand these experiences.
• To identify key factors influencing doctors' social and cultural wellbeing during a public health crisis.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal narrative inquiry using interviews and audio-diaries over 6 months.
• Data collected in three phases: initial interviews (n=98), longitudinal audio-diaries (n=71), and follow-up interviews (n=83).
• Abductive analysis focused on factors pertinent to social and cultural wellbeing.

Main Results:

• Doctors faced multiple, interacting transitions across workplace, role, homelife, and education contexts due to the pandemic.
• Three critical factors emerged: being heard by colleagues, being valued by institutions, and being supported by education bodies.
• These factors positively and negatively influenced doctors' social and cultural wellbeing.

Conclusions:

• This is the first longitudinal study on doctors' multiple-multidimensional transitions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Findings move beyond existing perceptions, articulating multiple contributors to social and cultural wellbeing.
• Medical educators must consider these insights for evidence-based interventions to support doctors, ensuring they are heard, valued, and supported.