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Published August 7, 2020 | Version v1.0.0
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Spine Surgery and COVID-19: The Influence of Practice Type on Preparedness, Response, and Economic Impact

Creators

  • 1. ROR icon Northwestern University
  • 2. ROR icon Hospital for Special Surgery
  • 3. ROR icon Rush University Medical Center
  • 4. ROR icon AO Foundation
  • 5. ROR icon University of Hong Kong
  • 6. ROR icon Tampere University Hospital
  • 7. ROR icon Assiut University
  • 8. Churruca Hospital
  • 9. ROR icon Johns Hopkins University
  • 10. ROR icon University of Arizona

Abstract

Study Design: Cross-sectional observational cohort study. Objective: To investigate preparation, response, and economic impact of COVID-19 on private, public, academic, and privademic spine surgeons. Methods: AO Spine COVID-19 and Spine Surgeon Global Impact Survey includes domains on surgeon demographics, location of practice, type of practice, COVID-19 perceptions, institutional preparedness and response, personal and practice impact, and future perceptions. The survey was distributed by AO Spine via email to members (n = 3805). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify differences between practice settings. Results: A total of 902 surgeons completed the survey. In all, 45.4% of respondents worked in an academic setting, 22.9% in privademics, 16.1% in private practice, and 15.6% in public hospitals. Academic practice setting was independently associated with performing elective and emergent spine surgeries at the time of survey distribution. A majority of surgeons reported a >75% decrease in case volume. Private practice and privademic surgeons reported losing income at a higher rate compared with academic or public surgeons. Practice setting was associated with personal protective equipment availability and economic issues as a source of stress. Conclusions: The current study indicates that practice setting affected both preparedness and response to COVID-19. Surgeons in private and privademic practices reported increased worry about the economic implications of the current crisis compared with surgeons in academic and public hospitals. COVID-19 decreased overall clinical productivity, revenue, and income. Government response to the current pandemic and preparation for future pandemics needs to be adaptable to surgeons in all practice settings.

Other

original_citation: Weiner JA, Swiatek PR, Johnson DJ, Louie PK, Harada GK, McCarthy MH, Germscheid N, Cheung JPY, Neva MH, El-Sharkawi M, Valacco M, Sciubba DM, Chutkan NB, An HS, Samartzis D. Spine Surgery and COVID-19: The Influence of Practice Type on Preparedness, Response, and Economic Impact. Global Spine Journal. 2022;12(2):249-262.

Acknowledgements

The authors would especially like to thank Kaija Kurki-Suonio and Fernando Kijel from AO Spine (Davos, Switzerland) for their assistance with circulating the survey to AO Spine members.

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Additional details

Identifiers

PMID
32762354

Related works

Is related to
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2192568220949183 (URL)

Dates

Created
2020-08-07
When the item was originally created.