Interventional Radiology in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: Impact on Practices and Wellbeing

Abstract

Purpose : To report the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on interventional radiology (IR). Materials and Methods : A 78-question survey was distributed to practicing interventional radiologists and IR trainees. The survey consisted of demographic and practice environment queries. Anxiety symptoms were evaluated using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) screener, and coping strategies were assessed using the Brief-Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (Brief-COPE) questionnaire. Results : There were 422 respondents including 333 (78.9%) attending interventional radiologists and 89 (21.1%) interventional radiologists-in-training from 15 counties. Most respondents were from academic medical centers (n=218; 51.7%). A large majority (n=391; 92.7%) performed a procedure on a patient with confirmed COVID-19 infection. An N95 mask was the most common (n=366; 93.6%) safety measure employed. Cancellation or limitation of elective procedures were reported by 276 (65.4%) respondents. Many respondents (n=177; 41.9%) had self-reported anxiety (GAD-7 score >5) with an overall mean GAD-7 score of 4.64 ± 4.63 (range: 0-21). Factors associated with reporting anxiety included female gender (p=0.045), increased call coverage (p=0.048), lack of adequate departmental adjustments (P<0.0001), and lack of adjustments in a timely manner (p<0.0001). The most utilized coping strategy was acceptance (mean of 5.49 ± 1.88), while the most employed dysfunctional coping strategy was self-distraction (mean of 4.16 ± 1.67). The odds of reporting anxiety increased by >125% with adoption of dysfunctional strategies. Conclusion : The COVID-19 pandemic induced practice alterations and high rates of self-reported anxiety in IR. Female gender, increased call coverage, and lack of adequate or timely departmental adjustments were associated with increased anxiety levels.

Using the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping to Explore Coping Strategies Adopted by Radiology Health Caregivers during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

“…In this regard, radiology caregivers practised accepting professional responsibilities and duties, appraisal-focused coping, social coping, spiritual therapy, exercise, reading [26,28] and at times did not take any action at all. These secondary intervention strategies aligned with the TMSC, Cooper et al and findings among radiology and radiography staff globally [14,18,26,[33][34]. This coping method is considered a powerful choice and potentially aids in developing emotional resilience as reported among Gauteng-based radiographers [5].…”

Exploring Radiologists’ Burnout in the COVID-19 Era: A Narrative Review

“…During the COVID-19 pandemic, work-related stress ramped up because of mandatory changes [ 48 , 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 , 91 , 92 , 93 , 94 ]. Several surveys [ 61 , 64 , 65 , 67 , 68 , 70 , 71 , 95 ] conducted during the COVID-19 outbreak in different countries have revealed a sensible impact of it on radiologists’ life in terms of anxiety, fear of spreading the infection, difficulty sourcing PPE, shifts in workload due to an increase in emergency procedures, and feeling that the crisis had affected their family relationships and damaged their own and their colleagues’ professional activity. In a survey conducted among North American pediatric radiologists by Ayyala et al [ 63 ], 69% of respondents endorsed feeling more isolated from a lack of regular interaction with colleagues due to an increase in remote working.…”

The Threat to the Soul of Interventional Radiology Escalated by COVID-19

“…Studies ( 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 ) of interventional radiologists and other minimally invasive specialists (eg, neurointerventionists, vascular surgeons, and cardiologists) have demonstrated the prevalence of burnout as ranging from 41% to 72% despite a trend of greater resilience among physicians in procedural specialties ( 7 ). Evidence suggests that practice alterations owing to the COVID-19 pandemic have severely increased feelings of anxiety and distress among interventional radiologists ( 8 ).…”