Impact of COVID-19 on Clinical Practices during Lockdown: A pan India Survey of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Open Access
- 1 March 2021
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Malaysian Orthopaedic Association in Malaysian Orthopaedic Journal
- Vol. 15 (1), 55-62
- https://doi.org/10.5704/moj.2103.009
Abstract
Introduction: The social lockdown measures imposed to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, have had profound effects on the healthcare systems across the world and India has been no exception to it. The study was aimed to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on orthopaedic practice in India during the lockdown period and assess the preparedness of orthopaedic surgeons for resuming clinical practice after the initial lockdown was lifted. Materials and Methods: An online survey of 35 questions was conducted to evaluate impact on (i) general orthopaedic practice (ii) hospital protocols (iii) out-patient practice (iv) surgical practice (v) personal protective equipment (PPE) use and (vi) post-lockdown preparedness. Results: A total number of 588 practising orthopaedic surgeons from India completed the survey. Majority (88.3%) found severe impact (>50%) on trauma surgery and nontrauma surgery with significant reduction in out -patient attendance compared to corresponding time in 2019. There were significant changes made in individual hospital protocols (91.7 %). Appropriate required PPE was available in majority of the hospitals (74.3%). No remodelling or upgrading of the existing operating theatre infrastructure was done by most surgeons (89.5%). Conclusion: This pan India survey of orthopaedic surgeons has indicated that COVID-19 has had a profound impact on their outpatient and surgical trauma and non-trauma practice, due to the lockdown and resulted in significant changes to hospital protocols. Preparedness to resume clinical and surgical practice was associated with anxiety in two-thirds of the respondents. Majority of the orthopaedic practitioners felt that they would continue to conduct pre-operative COVID-19 screening and use PPE even after the lockdown is over.Keywords
This publication has 21 references indexed in Scilit:
- The COVID-19 outbreak in Italy: Initial implications for organ transplantation programsAmerican Journal of Transplantation, 2020
- CoViD-19 and ortho and trauma surgery: The Italian experienceInjury, 2020
- Effects of COVID-19 pandemic in the field of orthopaedicsJournal of Clinical Orthopaedics and Trauma, 2020
- COVID-19 and orthopaedic surgeons: the Indian scenarioTropical Doctor, 2020
- Survey of COVID-19 Disease Among Orthopaedic Surgeons in Wuhan, People’s Republic of ChinaJournal of Bone and Joint Surgery, 2020
- Characteristics and Early Prognosis of COVID-19 Infection in Fracture PatientsJournal of Bone and Joint Surgery, 2020
- Novel Coronavirus COVID-19Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, 2020
- The possible impact of COVID‐19 on colorectal surgery in ItalyColorectal Disease, 2020
- COVID‐19 pandemic – is virtual urology clinic the answer to keeping the cancer pathway moving?BJU International, 2020
- Hip attack for hip fractures: is ultra-early surgery necessary?The Lancet, 2020