Burnout in Medical Specialists Redeployed to Emergency Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Burnout represents a concern for all healthcare providers, particularly emergency medical care specialists for whom burnout outcomes have been well documented. What remains unknown is the effect of burnout on redeployed medical specialists during the COVID-19 pandemic from an appointment-centered practice to emergency care directed by public health considerations. This research aims to identify and assess the burnout responses of fourteen medical specialties noted in the search returns of the four most cited articles published since 2020 about non-emergency physicians regarding their burnout, which was brought on by unanticipated emergency care delivery during the recent pandemic, using qualitative case study-like methodology. The hypothesis is that medical specialists accustomed to planning for emergency possibilities in their appointment-centered practice would demonstrate the least burnout regarding COVID-19-related emergencies. Considering coping as a process based on Lazarus’s research, comparing and ranking the COVID-19 emergency responses across the various normally appointment-centered medical specialties in their employed coping strategies determines the outcome. With the results supporting the hypothesis, suggested interventions for future pandemics—when these specialists are, again, redeployed to emergency care directed by public health considerations—are the coping strategies identified as the most effective in reducing burnout while maintaining the viability of the medical specialty and excellent patient care.