The following is a summary of “Well-being of polish general practitioners during the COVID-19 pandemic-cross-sectional questionnaire-based study,” published in the January 2025 issue of Primary Care by Nessler et al. 

The COVID-19 pandemic caused psychological distress to both the general population and healthcare workers. Physicians’ well-being is crucial to overall health. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the well-being of Polish general practitioners (GPs).  

They collected data through a self-reported online questionnaire from 162 GPs in Poland between December 2020 and August 2021, as part of the international PRICOV-19 study. The Mayo Clinic’s 9-item well-being index (eWBI) assessed GPs’ well-being. Spearman’s correlation measured associations between distress and continuous variables, while Gamma correlation was used for ordinal variables. The Kruskal-Wallis test was applied to compare distress levels across different practice locations. 

The results showed that 80% of respondents were at risk of distress, with an eWBI score of 2 or more. Higher distress scores were linked to increased responsibilities and the perceived need for additional training. Collaboration with neighboring practices and adequate governmental support were protective factors. No correlation was found between distress levels and years of experience, number of patients, number of doctors, practice location, or working with vulnerable populations. 

Investigators found that COVID-19 imposed significant emotional strain on Polish GPs. The study emphasized the need for targeted support services and resource allocation to primary healthcare in future crises. 

Source: bmcprimcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12875-024-02699-5