TY - JOUR
T1 - Clinicians' Core Needs in a Pandemic
T2 - Qualitative Findings From the Chat Box in a Statewide COVID-19 ECHO Program
AU - Steeves-Reece, Anna L.
AU - Elder, Nancy C.
AU - Broadwell, Katherine D.
AU - Stock, Ronald
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.
PY - 2022/1/1
Y1 - 2022/1/1
N2 - PURPOSE: Research on primary care's role in a pandemic response has not adequately considered the day-to-day needs of clinicians in the midst of a crisis. We created an Oregon COVID-19 ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) program, a telementoring education model for clinicians. The program was adapted for a large audience and encouraged interactivity among the hundreds of participants via the chat box. We assessed how chat box communications within the statewide program identified and ameliorated some of clinicians' needs during the pandemic. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative analysis of chat box transcripts from 11 sessions.We coded transcripts using the editing method, whereby analysts generate categories predominantly from the data, but also from prior knowledge. We then explored the context of clinicians' needs in a pandemic, as conceptualized in Maslow's hierarchy of needs adapted for physicians: physiologic, safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. RESULTS: The mean number of chat box participants was 492 per session (range, 385 to 763). Participants asked 1,462 questions and made 819 comments throughout the program. We identified 3 key themes: seeking answers and trustworthy information, seeking practical resources, and seeking and providing affirmation and peer support. These themes mapped onto the Maslow's needs framework. We found that participants were able to create a virtual community in the chat box that supported many of their needs. CONCLUSIONS: Using a novel data source, we found sharing the experience of practicing in a rapidly changing environment via comments and questions in an ECHO program both defined and supported participants' needs.
AB - PURPOSE: Research on primary care's role in a pandemic response has not adequately considered the day-to-day needs of clinicians in the midst of a crisis. We created an Oregon COVID-19 ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) program, a telementoring education model for clinicians. The program was adapted for a large audience and encouraged interactivity among the hundreds of participants via the chat box. We assessed how chat box communications within the statewide program identified and ameliorated some of clinicians' needs during the pandemic. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative analysis of chat box transcripts from 11 sessions.We coded transcripts using the editing method, whereby analysts generate categories predominantly from the data, but also from prior knowledge. We then explored the context of clinicians' needs in a pandemic, as conceptualized in Maslow's hierarchy of needs adapted for physicians: physiologic, safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. RESULTS: The mean number of chat box participants was 492 per session (range, 385 to 763). Participants asked 1,462 questions and made 819 comments throughout the program. We identified 3 key themes: seeking answers and trustworthy information, seeking practical resources, and seeking and providing affirmation and peer support. These themes mapped onto the Maslow's needs framework. We found that participants were able to create a virtual community in the chat box that supported many of their needs. CONCLUSIONS: Using a novel data source, we found sharing the experience of practicing in a rapidly changing environment via comments and questions in an ECHO program both defined and supported participants' needs.
KW - COVID-19
KW - clinician well-being
KW - communication
KW - continuing medical education
KW - health informatics
KW - primary health care
KW - professional practice
KW - project ECHO
KW - support groups
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85123814694&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85123814694&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1370/afm.2762
DO - 10.1370/afm.2762
M3 - Article
C2 - 35074768
AN - SCOPUS:85123814694
VL - 20
SP - 51
EP - 56
JO - Annals of Family Medicine
JF - Annals of Family Medicine
SN - 1544-1709
IS - 1
ER -