Staff Experiences With Remote Work in a Comprehensive Cancer Center During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Recommendations...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Occupational Health
• Digital Health

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated rapid adoption of remote work for clinical staff.
• Impacts of widespread remote work on healthcare professionals remain under-examined.
• This study focuses on clinical staff experiences at a major urban cancer center.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the experiences of clinical staff working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To identify factors associated with negative remote work experiences.
• To determine common barriers encountered by remote clinical staff.

Main Methods:

• An electronic survey was distributed to clinical staff who had worked remotely.
• Data collected between June and August 2021.
• Binary logistic regression and thematic analysis were used to analyze quantitative and qualitative data, respectively.

Main Results:

• While 85.6% of 333 respondents desired continued remote work, physicians and pharmacists were significantly more likely than administrative staff to prefer returning on-site.
• Physicians reported higher dissatisfaction and negative impacts on efficiency compared to other groups.
• Nurses frequently reported needs for additional resources and training.

Conclusions:

• Overall satisfaction with remote work among clinical staff was high.
• Addressing barriers such as fair allocation, digital integration, and role clarity is crucial for successful remote and hybrid work models in healthcare.
• Further research and policy development are needed to optimize remote work in healthcare settings.