We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Empathy and Occupational Health and Well-Being in Ecuadorian Physicians Working with COVID-19 Patients: A Mixed-Method Study.
- Authors
Matiz-Moya, Estefan; Delgado Bolton, Roberto C.; García-Gómez, Esperanza; Vivanco, Luis
- Abstract
Approximately one out of ten COVID-19 cases in Ecuador was a physician. It has been reported that this situation has led to a serious detriment of physicians' health and well-being. This study aimed to (i) identify predictors of emotional exhaustion, somatization, and work alienation in Ecuadorian physicians working with COVID-19 patients and (ii) explore the pandemic impact on doctor–patient relationships and on empathy. In 79 Ecuadorian physicians (45 women) who worked with COVID-19 patients, two separate multiple regression models explained the following: 73% of the variability of emotional exhaustion was based on somatization, work alienation, working sector, and passing through a symptomatic infection (p < 0.001), and 56% of the variability of somatization was based on gender and emotional exhaustion (p < 0.001), respectively. Furthermore, intention to leave the profession was more frequent among physicians with greater work alienation (p = 0.003). On the contrary, more empathic physicians never considered leaving their profession during the COVID-19 pandemic (p = 0.03). In physicians' verbatim, cognitive empathy appeared associated to a positive change in doctor–patient relationships. On the contrary, having an overwhelming emotional empathy appeared associated to a negative change in doctor–patient relationships. These findings characterize differences in how physicians cope while working in the frontline of the pandemic.
- Subjects
ECUADOR; WELL-being; PSYCHOLOGICAL burnout; COVID-19; EMPATHY; PHYSICIAN-patient relations; RESEARCH methodology; SOCIAL alienation; SELF-perception; PHYSICIANS' attitudes; COGNITION; MANN Whitney U Test; REGRESSION analysis; T-test (Statistics); QUESTIONNAIRES; DESCRIPTIVE statistics; RESEARCH funding; INDUSTRIAL hygiene; DATA analysis software; PSYCHOLOGY of physicians
- Publication
Healthcare (2227-9032), 2023, Vol 11, Issue 8, p1177
- ISSN
2227-9032
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3390/healthcare11081177