Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Leuven Institute for Health Care Policy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Acta Chir Belg. 2023 Jun;123(3):221-230. doi: 10.1080/00015458.2021.1972588. Epub 2021 Sep 28.
The COVID-19 pandemic has tremendously impacted the healthcare system and residency programs worldwide. Surgical residents were redeployed to COVID-19 units, whereas education and scientific didactics were reduced. The aim of this study is to identify the impact of COVID-19 on Flemish surgical residents' education, personal life and volume of performed surgeries.
A cross-sectional retrospective survey on educational and personal impact during the first COVID-19 wave was administered anonymously to all surgical residents in Flanders. A quantitative comparison of performed surgeries during this period and the same period a year earlier was conducted.
A total of 193 surgical residents (46%) completed the survey. 63% of residents were no longer admitted to multidisciplinary oncologic meetings and 107 (55%) residents had no longer any scientific theoretical meetings at all. Almost one in two residents (46%) indicated more than 50% reduction in time in the operating theater and one in three (31%) residents were involved in care for COVID-19 positive surgical patients. Seventy-eight percent of the residents experienced a negative impact on their surgical training and 41% experienced a negative influence on their private situation. Performed surgical cases during the COVID-19 period were on average 40% less for second, third- and fourth-year residents.
Surgical residents perceived a high negative impact on personal and professional lives during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in Flanders. Education and training programs were cancelled and volume of performed surgeries decreased tremendously. Policymakers and surgical program coordinators should ensure surgical education during further evolution of this and future pandemics.
COVID-19 大流行对全球的医疗保健系统和住院医师培训计划产生了巨大影响。外科住院医师被重新部署到 COVID-19 病房，而教育和科学教学则减少了。本研究旨在确定 COVID-19 对佛兰德外科住院医师的教育、个人生活和手术量的影响。
对佛兰德所有外科住院医师进行了一项关于 COVID-19 第一波期间教育和个人影响的横断面回顾性调查。对该期间和前一年同期进行的手术量进行了定量比较。
共有 193 名外科住院医师（46%）完成了调查。63%的住院医师不再参加多学科肿瘤会议，107 名（55%）住院医师根本没有任何科学理论会议。将近二分之一的住院医师（46%）表示手术室时间减少了 50%以上，三分之一的住院医师（31%）参与了 COVID-19 阳性手术患者的护理。78%的住院医师表示他们的外科培训受到负面影响，41%的住院医师表示他们的私人生活受到负面影响。在 COVID-19 期间，第二、三、四年级住院医师的手术量平均减少了 40%。
佛兰德外科住院医师在 COVID-19 大流行开始时个人和职业生活受到了高度负面影响。教育和培训计划被取消，手术量大幅减少。政策制定者和外科项目协调员应确保在未来的大流行中继续进行外科教育。
