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COVID-19 Risk Management: a Survey among Italian physicians
D Morena1, G Delogu1, G Volonnino1
1Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Insights
Healthcare professionals faced challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, including inadequate personal protective equipment (PPE) and compromised specialist care. Doctors desire legal protections and improved pandemic preparedness to enhance medical assistance.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Medical Professionalism
- Pandemic Response
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted global public health systems.
- Increased demand for intensive care reduced assistance for non-COVID patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate changes in health professionals' activities during the pandemic.
- To understand how healthcare professionals coped with pandemic-related challenges.
- To assess perceptions of personal protective equipment (PPE), vaccination, and medical liability.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire was distributed to 146 doctors, focusing on pandemic activities, PPE, vaccination, and COVID-19 related liability.
- 111 doctors completed the questionnaire.
- Analysis revealed no significant differences based on participant demographics or work variables.
Main Results:
- Most doctors assisted potentially COVID-19 positive patients, facing safety compromises.
- Key concerns included inadequate PPE provision and compromised specialist medical care.
- High vaccination compliance (nearly complete coverage) indicated a strong interest in safety.
- 72.7% of doctors believed specialist medical care was impaired.
- 79.8% desired civil and criminal liability limitations for managing SARS-CoV-2 patients.
Conclusions:
- The study identified key challenges faced by healthcare professionals during the pandemic.
- Professional versatility was crucial, but highlighted the need for robust, updated institutional pandemic plans.
- Concerns regarding financial deficits and legal protection require attention.
- Policy decisions should prioritize enhancing medical assistance and mitigating defensive medicine.
Abstract:
The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant global impact on public health. The increasing demand for intensive care and the closure of several health facilities has led to a reduction in the assistance of non-COVID patients. In our study, we investigated what changes health professionals have experienced in their professional activities and how they coped with them. A questionnaire was sent to 146 doctors, focused on three subjects: type of activity carried out during the pandemic; use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and recourse to vaccination; current medical liability profiles related to COVID-19. The questionnaire was completed by 111 doctors. The study showed no significant differences in the questionnaire response as regards the demographic and work variables of the participants (gender, age, area of specialties). Most of doctors assisted potentially positive patients, which also imposed derogations on their safety. Most of the complaints were about the low adequacy of PPE provision and about the compromission of specialist medical care. The interest in safety among participants was revealed by the high compliance to vaccination, with almost complete coverage. The questionnaires showed that most doctors (72,7%) believe that specialist medical care has been impaired during the COVID-19 pandemic. Secondly, a high percentage of participants (79.8%) expressed the need for both civil and criminal limitation of liability in connection with work in the management of SARS-Cov-2 patients. In conclusion, this survey tried to contribute to the identification of the main problems presented by healthcare professionals. Their versatility was a crucial element for the management of the pandemic, but also highlighted the need for health institutions to prepare pandemic plans in the future, with adequate and constant updating. Concerns were raised regarding financial deficits and legal protection. Political decisions must be entrusted to enhance medical assistance and to avoid the increasing phenomenon of defensive medicine.
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