TY  - JOUR
JF  - Healthcare
N2  - 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.
KW  - somatization; emotional exhaustion; work alienation; empathy; COVID-19; doctor-patient relationship
ID  - uneatlantico17874
Y1  - 2023/04//
A1  - Matiz-Moya, Estefan
A1  - Delgado Bolton, Roberto C.
A1  - García-Gómez, Esperanza
A1  - Vivanco, Luis
VL  - 11
AV  - public
TI  - Empathy and Occupational Health and Well-Being in Ecuadorian Physicians Working with COVID-19 Patients: A Mixed-Method Study
IS  - 8
UR  - http://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11081177
SN  - 2227-9032
ER  -