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POS0051 THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON RHEUMATOLOGY TRAINING: RESULTS FROM THE COVID-19 GLOBAL RHEUMATOLOGY ALLIANCE TRAINEE SURVEY
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  1. K. Young1,
  2. S. A. Yeoh2,
  3. M. Putman3,
  4. E. Graef4,
  5. F. Berenbaum5,6,7,
  6. R. Conway8,
  7. R. Grainger9,
  8. A. Kilian10,
  9. M. Konig11,
  10. J. Liew12,
  11. P. M. Machado2,
  12. S. E. Sattui13,
  13. J. Sparks14,15,
  14. P. Sufka16,
  15. M. Ugarte-Gil17,
  16. L. Upton18,
  17. Z. Wallace15,19,
  18. J. Yazdany20,
  19. A. Jayatilleke21
  20. on behalf of the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance
  1. 1University of Texas Southwest Medical Center, Rheumatology, Dallas, United States of America
  2. 2University College London, Rheumatology, London, United Kingdom
  3. 3Medical College of Wisconsin, Rheumatology, Milwaukee, United States of America
  4. 4Emerson Hospital, Department of Medicine, Concord, United States of America
  5. 5Sorbonne University, Rheumatology, Paris, France
  6. 6AP-HP Saint-Antoine Hospital, Rheumatology, Paris, United Kingdom
  7. 7Inserm, Rheumatology, Paris, France
  8. 8St. James’s Hospital, Rheumatology, Dublin, Ireland
  9. 9University of Otago Wellington, Department of Medicine, Wellington, New Zealand
  10. 10George Washington University, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington DC, United States of America
  11. 11Johns Hopkins University, Rheumatology, Baltimore, United States of America
  12. 12Boston University School of Medicine, Section of Rheumatology, Boston, United States of America
  13. 13Hospital for Special Surgery, Department of Medicine, New York, United States of America
  14. 14Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Rheumatology, Boston, United States of America
  15. 15Harvard Medical School, Rheumatology, Boston, United States of America
  16. 16HealthPartners & Regions Hospital, Rheumatology, St. Paul, United States of America
  17. 17Universidad Cientifica del Sur, Rheumatology, Lima, Peru
  18. 18Georgetown University, School of Medicine, Washington DC, United States of America
  19. 19Massachusetts General Hospital, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology, Boston, United States of America
  20. 20University of California San Francisco, Division of Rheumatology, San Francisco, United States of America
  21. 21Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Rheumatology, Philadelphia, United States of America

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted healthcare delivery and education of physicians, including rheumatology trainees.

Objectives: To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the clinical experiences, research opportunities, and well-being of rheumatology trainees.

Methods: A voluntary, anonymous, web-based survey was administered in English, Spanish, or French from 19/08/2020 to 05/10/2020. Adult and paediatric rheumatology trainees worldwide in training in 2020 were invited to participate via social media and email. Using multiple choice questions, Likert scales, and free text answers, we assessed trainee patient care activities, redeployment, research, and well-being.

Results: The 302 respondents were from 33 countries, with most (83%, 252/302) in adult rheumatology training. Many trainees (45%, 135/300) reported an increase in non-rheumatology clinical work (e.g. care of COVID-19 patients), with 52% of these (70/135) also continuing rheumatology clinical work. COVID-19 redeployment was not optional for 68% (91/134).

Trainees reported a negative impact of the pandemic in their growth in rheumatology (Figure 1). They also reported a substantial impact on several training areas: outpatient clinics (79%, 238/302), inpatient consultations (59%, 177/302), formal teaching (55%, 167/302), procedures (53%, 147/302), teaching opportunities (52%, 157/302), and ultrasonography (36%, 110/302), with 87-96% perceiving a negative impact on these areas. Only 54% (159/294) reported feeling comfortable with their level of clinical supervision during the pandemic (Figure 1).

Many trainees (46%, 128/280) reported changes in research experiences during the pandemic; 39% (110/285) reported that COVID-19 negatively affected their ability to continue their pre-pandemic research and 50% (142/285) reported difficulty maintaining research goals (Figure 1).

Some rheumatology trainees reported having health condition(s) putting them at high risk for COVID-19 (10%, 30/302) and 14% of trainees (41/302) reported having had COVID-19 (Table 1). Only 53% (160/302) reported feeling physically safe in the workplace while 25% (76/302) reported not feeling physically safe; reasons included lack of training about COVID-19, lack of comfort in the clinical setting, insufficient personal protective equipment, immunocompromised state, and pregnancy. Half (151/302) reported burnout and 68% (204/302) an increase in stress from work during the pandemic (Figure 1), whilst 25% (75/302) reported that changes to their training programme negatively impacted their physical health.

Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the experience of rheumatology training as well as the well-being of trainees globally. Our data highlight concerns for rheumatology trainees including research opportunities and clinical care which should be a focus for curriculum planning.

Figure 1.
Figure 1.

Rheumatology trainee perceptions of pandemic impact and changes in training programme.

View this table:
Table 1.

Estimated hazard ratios, adjusted for age and gender, for individuals with rheumatoid arthritis

Disclosure of Interests: Kristen Young: None declared, Su-Ann Yeoh: None declared, Michael Putman: None declared, Elizabeth Graef: None declared, Francis Berenbaum: None declared, Richard Conway: None declared, Rebecca Grainger Speakers bureau: Speaker fees from Abbvie, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Cornerstones, all not related to this work, Consultant of: Consultancy fees from Abbvie, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Cornerstones, all not related to this work, Grant/research support from: Travel assistance from Pfizer, not related to this work, Adam Kilian: None declared, Maximilian Konig: None declared, Jean Liew Grant/research support from: Research grant from Pfizer unrelated to this manuscript, Pedro M Machado Speakers bureau: Speaker fees from Abbvie, BMS, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, MSD, Novartis, Orphazyme, Pfizer, Roche and UCB, all unrelated to this manuscript, Consultant of: Consulting fees from Abbvie, BMS, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, MSD, Novartis, Orphazyme, Pfizer, Roche and UCB, all unrelated to this manuscript, Sebastian E. Sattui: None declared, Jeffrey Sparks Consultant of: Consultancy for Bristol-Myers Squibb, Gilead, Inova Diagnostics, Optum, and Pfizer unrelated to this manuscript, Grant/research support from: Research support from Bristol-Myers Squibb unrelated to this manuscript, Paul Sufka: None declared, Manuel Ugarte-Gil Grant/research support from: Research grants from Janssen and Pfizer unrelated to this manuscript, Laura Upton: None declared, Zachary Wallace: None declared, Jinoos Yazdany Consultant of: Consultancy for Astra Zeneca, Eli Lilly, and Pfizer, not related to this work, Grant/research support from: Research grants from Gilead and Pfizer, not related to this work, Arundathi Jayatilleke: None declared.

https://doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2021-eular.2236

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