Specificity of the work of physicians in inpatient healthcare facilities of the Gomel region in the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Objective. To study the specificity of the functioning of inpatient healthcare facilities in the Gomel region in the spread of the coronavirus disease COVID-19.Materials and methods. A survey among 78 physicians of the inpatient healthcare facilities was conducted, which provided an opportunity to analyze the specificity of the work in the spread of the coronavirus disease COVID-19 and related difficulties.Results. According to the respondents, in the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a considerable growth in working hours and intensity of the work of the physicians in the inpatient healthcare facilities. In the vast majority of the cases (74.7 %), the physicians in the inpatient healthcare facilities underwent training on prevention, diagnostics, adoption of anti-epidemic measures in the detection and treatment of COVID-19 patients. Nevertheless, only 25.6 % of the respondents considered their professional competence level with regard to their work with COVID-19 patients to be high. Moreover, the physicians` satisfaction rate for the existing strategies for rendering medical care to COVID-19 patientswas 6.87 ± 2.06 outof 10.Conclusion. To a large extent, the physicians of inpatient healthcare facilities of the Gomel region during their work with patients are concerned about such circumstances as longer working hours and increased working intensity, complexity of making balanced and optimal decisions regarding the organization of the work of inpatient healthcare facilities during the pandemic, as well as issues related to contact with patients (worrying about getting infected and infecting family, organization of childcare due to the closure of schools and preschool institutions during quarantine and others).