Does wearing personal protective equipment affect the performance and decision of physicians? A cross-sectional study during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The use of personal protective equipment (PPE) decreased the probability of viral transmission during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, some drawbacks have been observed with its extensive use, such as headaches, anxiety, and stress among physicians, which could affect decision-making processes, the performance of physicians, and consequently patients' safety. Few articles have studied the impact of PPE on physicians from different specialties. This study assessed the effect of wearing PPE on the performance and decision-making of physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic and compared the effects of wearing PPE on physicians from different specialties.

Methods

A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out through an anonymous 39-item online questionnaire. The ph

SUBMITTER: Foula MS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8189734 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature