Impact of COVID-19 on Belgian paediatric trainees

Background and objectives The COVID-19 pandemic has put strain on the activities and well-being of health care workers. We aimed to measure the direct and indirect impact on a personal and professional level for paediatric trainees in Flanders, Belgium. Study design Junior representatives of Flemish Society for Paediatrics (Jong VVK) conducted a follow-up crosssectional study among fellow paediatric trainees. The impact of COVID-19 on daily tasks, education and emotional well-being for the first (March - April 2020) and second wave (October - November 2020) of the pandemic were studied. Results One hundred and nineteen surveys were completed in the first wave, consisting of 51% (119/233) of the total number of paediatric trainees in Flanders. Eighty surveys were completed in the second wave. Educational program changes occurred in 25% (30/119) of trainees and more than half (61%; 72/119) described the pandemic as an impediment for their educational progress. The perception of impaired education persisted for 30% of the responders (24/80) during the secondwave. One out of three (30%; 35/119) felt their job was more exhausting than usual and 38% (45/119) perceived more stressed at work. These numbers were comparable at both timepoints. Increases in stress paralleled with increased irritability in daily life and poorer sleep quality. Increased stress at work correlated significantly with higher workload, having to do uncomfortable tasks, feelings of exhaustion and unsafety, and feeling less part of a team or less useful during the COVID-19 crisis. Conclusions COVID-19 had an important impact on the daily tasks, education and emotional well-being of the paediatric trainees. Medical training centres should be aware that there is a perception of impediment on the educational program of the paediatric. Policy makers and medical trainers should be cautious not to allocate all resources towards the specialities that were most prominently on the front lines of COVID-19 patient care

Publication year:2021