Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Productivity of Workers in the Health Sector between Working in a Hospital and from Home

Background: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, workplaces in the medical field experienced changes. Non-frontline workers in the health sector (WHS) were in many cases allowed to work from home (WFH). Changes in work locations have affected the perception of productivity during the COVID-19 pandemic comp...

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Main Authors: Robert M. Trojak, Melanie Lenger, Armin Birner, Alexander Maget, Nina Dalkner, Jorgos N. Lang, Frederike T. Fellendorf, Michaela Ratzenhofer, Elena M. D. Schönthaler, Eva Fleischmann, Susanne A. Bengesser, Robert Queissner, Martina Platzer, Adelina Tmava-Berisha, Eva Z. Reininghaus
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-08-01
Series:Journal of Clinical Medicine
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/12/15/5129
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author Robert M. Trojak
Melanie Lenger
Armin Birner
Alexander Maget
Nina Dalkner
Jorgos N. Lang
Frederike T. Fellendorf
Michaela Ratzenhofer
Elena M. D. Schönthaler
Eva Fleischmann
Susanne A. Bengesser
Robert Queissner
Martina Platzer
Adelina Tmava-Berisha
Eva Z. Reininghaus
author_facet Robert M. Trojak
Melanie Lenger
Armin Birner
Alexander Maget
Nina Dalkner
Jorgos N. Lang
Frederike T. Fellendorf
Michaela Ratzenhofer
Elena M. D. Schönthaler
Eva Fleischmann
Susanne A. Bengesser
Robert Queissner
Martina Platzer
Adelina Tmava-Berisha
Eva Z. Reininghaus
author_sort Robert M. Trojak
collection DOAJ
description Background: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, workplaces in the medical field experienced changes. Non-frontline workers in the health sector (WHS) were in many cases allowed to work from home (WFH). Changes in work locations have affected the perception of productivity during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic perception. Studies regarding this research field are rare for WHS. The aim of the present study was to investigate the perception of productivity and its impact on symptoms of depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. The second objective was to assess the implications for post-pandemic work settings such as WFH or work scenarios in hospitals during pandemics. Methods: At three points in time during the COVID-19 pandemic (t1; <i>n</i> = 161: April 2020, t2; <i>n</i> = 1598 winter 2020/2021, t3; <i>n</i> = 1879 winter 2021/2022), an online survey of WHS (e.g., medical doctors, nurses, scientific staff) in Austria concerning their productivity in their current workplace (pre- and post-pandemic) was conducted. The online survey included questions about the perceptions of productivity changes (i.e., perceptions of lower, equal, and higher productivity, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic) in different work settings (e.g., working in a hospital or working from home), as well as standardized questionnaires like the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), assessing symptoms of depression in WHS. Results: χ<sup>2</sup> tests showed that WHS working in hospitals experienced significantly fewer fluctuations in their perceptions of productivity than WHS working from home. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that WHS with a lower perception of productivity tended to have higher self-assessed depressive symptoms. Conclusion: The possibility of remaining working in the hospital in stressful scenarios like the COVID-19 pandemic might stabilize the feeling of productivity. Moreover, productivity is associated with self-assessed depressive symptoms. Hence, looking into the reasons behind this discrepancy between WHS in hospitals and those working from home might help to improve the home office modality and to create better structures, which are related to symptoms of depression.
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spelling doaj.art-7def9a8778c5427f827bba313345423e2023-11-18T23:09:45ZengMDPI AGJournal of Clinical Medicine2077-03832023-08-011215512910.3390/jcm12155129Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Productivity of Workers in the Health Sector between Working in a Hospital and from HomeRobert M. Trojak0Melanie Lenger1Armin Birner2Alexander Maget3Nina Dalkner4Jorgos N. Lang5Frederike T. Fellendorf6Michaela Ratzenhofer7Elena M. D. Schönthaler8Eva Fleischmann9Susanne A. Bengesser10Robert Queissner11Martina Platzer12Adelina Tmava-Berisha13Eva Z. Reininghaus14Clinical Division of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University Graz, 8036 Graz, AustriaClinical Division of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University Graz, 8036 Graz, AustriaClinical Division of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University Graz, 8036 Graz, AustriaClinical Division of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University Graz, 8036 Graz, AustriaClinical Division of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University Graz, 8036 Graz, AustriaClinical Division of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University Graz, 8036 Graz, AustriaClinical Division of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University Graz, 8036 Graz, AustriaClinical Division of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University Graz, 8036 Graz, AustriaClinical Division of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University Graz, 8036 Graz, AustriaClinical Division of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University Graz, 8036 Graz, AustriaClinical Division of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University Graz, 8036 Graz, AustriaClinical Division of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University Graz, 8036 Graz, AustriaClinical Division of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University Graz, 8036 Graz, AustriaClinical Division of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University Graz, 8036 Graz, AustriaClinical Division of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University Graz, 8036 Graz, AustriaBackground: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, workplaces in the medical field experienced changes. Non-frontline workers in the health sector (WHS) were in many cases allowed to work from home (WFH). Changes in work locations have affected the perception of productivity during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic perception. Studies regarding this research field are rare for WHS. The aim of the present study was to investigate the perception of productivity and its impact on symptoms of depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. The second objective was to assess the implications for post-pandemic work settings such as WFH or work scenarios in hospitals during pandemics. Methods: At three points in time during the COVID-19 pandemic (t1; <i>n</i> = 161: April 2020, t2; <i>n</i> = 1598 winter 2020/2021, t3; <i>n</i> = 1879 winter 2021/2022), an online survey of WHS (e.g., medical doctors, nurses, scientific staff) in Austria concerning their productivity in their current workplace (pre- and post-pandemic) was conducted. The online survey included questions about the perceptions of productivity changes (i.e., perceptions of lower, equal, and higher productivity, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic) in different work settings (e.g., working in a hospital or working from home), as well as standardized questionnaires like the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), assessing symptoms of depression in WHS. Results: χ<sup>2</sup> tests showed that WHS working in hospitals experienced significantly fewer fluctuations in their perceptions of productivity than WHS working from home. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that WHS with a lower perception of productivity tended to have higher self-assessed depressive symptoms. Conclusion: The possibility of remaining working in the hospital in stressful scenarios like the COVID-19 pandemic might stabilize the feeling of productivity. Moreover, productivity is associated with self-assessed depressive symptoms. Hence, looking into the reasons behind this discrepancy between WHS in hospitals and those working from home might help to improve the home office modality and to create better structures, which are related to symptoms of depression.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/12/15/5129COVID-19 pandemichealthcare workerproductivitymental healthworking from homefrontline worker in the health sector
spellingShingle Robert M. Trojak
Melanie Lenger
Armin Birner
Alexander Maget
Nina Dalkner
Jorgos N. Lang
Frederike T. Fellendorf
Michaela Ratzenhofer
Elena M. D. Schönthaler
Eva Fleischmann
Susanne A. Bengesser
Robert Queissner
Martina Platzer
Adelina Tmava-Berisha
Eva Z. Reininghaus
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Productivity of Workers in the Health Sector between Working in a Hospital and from Home
Journal of Clinical Medicine
COVID-19 pandemic
healthcare worker
productivity
mental health
working from home
frontline worker in the health sector
title Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Productivity of Workers in the Health Sector between Working in a Hospital and from Home
title_full Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Productivity of Workers in the Health Sector between Working in a Hospital and from Home
title_fullStr Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Productivity of Workers in the Health Sector between Working in a Hospital and from Home
title_full_unstemmed Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Productivity of Workers in the Health Sector between Working in a Hospital and from Home
title_short Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Productivity of Workers in the Health Sector between Working in a Hospital and from Home
title_sort impact of the covid 19 pandemic on productivity of workers in the health sector between working in a hospital and from home
topic COVID-19 pandemic
healthcare worker
productivity
mental health
working from home
frontline worker in the health sector
url https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/12/15/5129
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