Impact of COVID-19 among otorhinolaryngologists in Malaysia: a cross-sectional online survey

Abstract

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has changed the lives of millions of people worldwide, including the lives of healthcare workers. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of COVID-19 on the quality of life, financial implications, and fear of COVID-19 among otorhinolaryngologists in Malaysia at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted for a period of one week from 1 to 7 June 2021 using the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Financial Well-Being Scale and Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) available at a link sent to potential participants. The study’s target participants were otorhinolaryngology specialists residing and working in Malaysia. Results: A total of 115 participants completed the survey. The majority of them were of the Malay (51.3%) race, of Malaysian (99.1%) nationality, and predominantly female. Most of the respondents were 20–40 years old, working in public hospitals (46.1%). The mean WHOQOL-BREF scores for the physical domain, psychological domain, social domain, and environmental domain were 54.64 ± 12.93, 53.79 ± 11.09, 72.70 ± 20.74, and 67.22 ± 16.32, respectively. The mean CFPB and FVC-19S scores were 54.57 ± 8.47 and 19.13 ± 6.04, respectively. A significant difference between the participants with different lengths of professional experience was observed in the social relationship domain (p = 0.011) and the financial well-being score (p = 0.004). Participants with more than ten years of professional experience had the highest CFPD score (mean ± SD: 58.07 ± 8.65). Conclusion: COVID-19 has affected various domains of the quality of life, financial stability, and fear of COVID-19 across the various groups of otorhinolaryngologists in Malaysia. The findings of this survey identify negative effects and help to plan various strategies to address the issue.