COVID-19 Pandemic Short Interval National Survey Gauging Psychological Distress

The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic is unprecedented in its scale of infection and the response required to decrease the mortality rates. Disturbingly, the European and United States experience demonstrates that health care systems in industrialized countries are at risk of becoming overwhelmed. Physicians are already at risk of burnout under normal working conditions, and in particular, when responding to crisis situations. During the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak, healthcare workers experienced high rates of psychological distress that lasted years. However, there may be protective factors that may decrease the rate or severity of psychological distress and burnout. This study seeks to investigate the rates of physician burnout assessed at multiple time points during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, this study seeks to determine the factors that may increase or decrease burnout and psychological distress in such a setting. This study will be a national longitudinal survey of physicians in Canada. It will include all physicians that currently hold a license to practice in Canada (whether in training or a full license). Consenting participants will complete an initial survey gathering information about their type of practice, health conditions, preparations the COVID-19 pandemic, burnout, and psychological distress. Every month, participants will be asked to complete a follow-up survey, describing their stressors, coping strategies, burnout, and psychological distress. The investigators will analyze and report the initial results to help provincial and national organizations support our physicians and mitigate burnout during this pandemic. The results of the follow up surveys will be analyzed and reported following the pandemic. These findings will help keep our physician workforce healthy under normal working conditions and during future crises.