The Responses of Radiology Professionals to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Year 2022, Volume: 6 Issue: 3, 712 - 721, 29.09.2022

Türkan Özbay Özgül Vupa Çilengiroğlu

https://doi.org/10.30621/jbachs.992808

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate radiology professionals’ response to the impact of COVID-19 on professional practice. In addition, the fear and anxiety levels experienced by this workforce during the pandemic process were investigated.
Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted. The questionnaire covered information on demographic characteristics, the Coronavirus Overviews and Impacts, the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS), and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale. Logistic regression was used to model the relationship between "CAS" and "Fear" scores and variables. Data collected was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (v.24).
Results: A total of 290 responses were received, comprising 21.7% radiologists and 78.3% technicians. The key contributor factors to work-related stress were found to be the fear of COVID-19 infection, with 63.8%, the increase in workload, with 17.6% and inadequate personal protective equipment (PPE), with 11%. The percentages of anxiety were 75.6% for technician and 24.4% for radiologist. It was found that there was a significant association between "CAS" score and the gender variable (p=0.030<0.05), and similarly, between "Fear" score and gender (p-value=0.003) and age (p-value=0.080) variables. The women are 2.205 times more likely to be anxious than men (p=0.033) and 2.106 times more likely to be fear (p=0.003).
Conclusion: Almost half of the participants reported adequate PPE availability during the study period. Despite this, most feared being infected with COVID-19. Therefore, it is important to provide timely and adequate personnel training, adequate availability of PPE and regular psychosocial support for radiology professinals, during future pandemics.

Keywords

COVID-19, radiology professionals, anxiety, fear

Thanks

Authors thank to all the radiologists and technicians who participated in the study and worked devotedly during the COVID-19 pandemic in Izmir, Turkey. The authors also thank Simon MUMFORD for proofreading the article.

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