Top

Published in:

01-06-2020 | COVID-19 | Original Article

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on surgical residency programmes in Italy: a nationwide analysis on behalf of the Italian Polyspecialistic Young Surgeons Society (SPIGC)

Authors: Davide Pertile, Gaetano Gallo, Fabio Barra, Alessandro Pasculli, Paola Batistotti, Marco Sparavigna, Giuseppe Vizzielli, Domenico Soriero, Giusi Graziano, Salomone Di Saverio, Roberto Luca Meniconi, Eleonora Guaitoli, Andrea Mazzarri, SPIGC Working Group

Published in: Updates in Surgery | Issue 2/2020

Abstract

Introduction

Recently, Italy has been heavily hit by COVID-19 pandemic and today it is still one of the most affected countries in the world. The subsequent necessary lockdown decreed by the Italian Government had an outstanding impact on the daily life of the entire population, including that of Italian surgical residents’ activity. Our survey aims to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on the training programme of Italian surgical residents.

Materials and methods

We designed a 12-item-electronic anonymous questionnaire on SurveyMonkey© web application. The survey was composed of different sections concerning demographic characteristics and impacts of COVID-19 on the concrete participation in clinical, surgical and research activities. Future perspectives of responders after the pandemic were also investigated.

Results

Eighty hundred responses were collected, and 756 questionnaires were considered eligible to be included in the study analysis. Almost 35 and 27% of respondents experienced, respectively, complete interruption of surgical and clinical activities. A subgroup analysis, comparing the COVID-19 impact on clinical activities with demographics data, showed a statistically significant difference related to specialties (p = 0.0062) and Italian regions (p < 0.0001). Moreover, 112 residents have been moved to non-surgical units dealing with COVID-19 or, in some case, they voluntarily decided to interrupt their residency programme to support the ongoing emergency.

Conclusion

Our survey demonstrated that COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the educational programme of Italian surgical residents. Despite many regional differences, this survey highlighted the overall shortage of planning in the re-allocation of resources facing this unexpected health emergency.

Available only for authorised users

Gallo G, Trompetto M (2020) The effects of COVID-19 on academic activities and surgical education in Italy [published online ahead of print, 2020 Apr 5]. J Investig Surg. https://doi.org/10.1080/08941939.2020.1748147 CrossRef

Rosenbaum L (2020) Facing covid-19 in Italy—ethics, logistics, and therapeutics on the epidemic’s front line. N Engl J Med. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMp2005492.32187459 CrossRefPubMed

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/italy/

https://www.tgcom24.mediaset.it/cronaca/coronavirus-arcuri-79-aumento-posti-in-terapia-intensiva_16926794-202002a.shtml

Giulio M, Maggioni D, Montroni I et al (2020) Being a doctor will never be the same after the COVID-19 pandemic [published online ahead of print, 2020 Mar 30]. Am J Med. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2020.03.003 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

https://www.ilmessaggero.it/italia/coronavirus_italia_news_contagi_morti_mattarella_medici_ultime-5157651.html

Wu Z, McGoogan JM (2020) Characteristics of and important lessons from the coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19) outbreak in China: summary of a report of 72 314 cases from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. JAMA. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.2648.32091533 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Bianco F, Incollingo P, Grossi U, Gallo G (2020) Preventing transmission among operating room staff during COVID-19 pandemic: the role of the Aerosol Box and other personal protective equipment. Updates Surg 12:13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13304-020-00818-2 CrossRef

Wu A, Huang X, Li C, Li L (2020) Novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) pneumonia in medical institutions: problems in prevention and control. Chin J Infect Control 19:1–6

10.

Ives J, Huxtable R (2020) Surgical ethics during a pandemic: moving into the unknown? [published online ahead of print, 2020 Mar 30]. Br J Surg. doi:10.1002/bjs.11638CrossRefPubMed

11.

https://www.italia-news.it/la-protezione-civile-ha-pubblicato-il-bando-per-300-medici-volontari-18652.html

12.

https://www.surveymonkey.com

13.

https://www.miur.gov.it/web/guest/normativa

14.

Eysenbach G (2004) Improving the quality of web surveys: the checklist for reporting results of internet e-surveys (CHERRIES) [published correction appears in doi:10.2196/jmir.2042]. J Med Internet Res 6(3):e34. https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.6.3.e34 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

15.

Elsey EJ, Griffiths G, Humes DJ, West J (2017) Meta-analysis of operative experiences of general surgery trainees during training. Br J Surg 104(1):22–33CrossRef

16.

Chung RS (2005) How much time do surgical residents need to learn operative surgery? Am J Surg 190(3):351–353CrossRef

17.

Pellino G, Moggia E, Novelli E et al (2019) An update of the aims and achievements during the first year of the Young Group of the Italian Society of Colorectal Surgery (Y-SICCR). Tech Coloproctol 23(3):291–298CrossRef

18.

Stokes DC (2020) Senior medical students in the COVID-19 response: an opportunity to be proactive [published online ahead of print, 2020 Mar 25]. Acad Emerg Med. https://doi.org/10.1111/acem.13972 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

19.

Graham LA, Maldonado YA, Tompkins LS, Wald SH, Chawla A, Hawn MT (2020) Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 transmission from community contacts in Healthcare Workers. Ann Surg (In press)

20.

COVIDSurg Collaborative, (2020) Global guidance for surgical care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Br J Surg. https://doi.org/10.1002/bjs.11646 CrossRefPubMedCentral

21.

Porpiglia F, Checcucci E, Amparore D et al (2020) Slowdown of urology residents’ learning curve during COVID-19 emergency. BJU Int. https://doi.org/10.1111/bju.15076 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

22.

Colombo A, Bassani G (2019) Carenza di medici: ma per quale SSN? Dati, riflessioni e proposte dalla formazione [Lack of doctors, but for what System? Shortage of clinicians in Italy and Lombardy and reflections on structural constrains in training]. Ig Sanita Pubbl 75(5):385–402PubMed

Title: The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on surgical residency programmes in Italy: a nationwide analysis on behalf of the Italian Polyspecialistic Young Surgeons Society (SPIGC)
Authors: Davide Pertile
Gaetano Gallo
Fabio Barra
Alessandro Pasculli
Paola Batistotti
Marco Sparavigna
Giuseppe Vizzielli
Domenico Soriero
Giusi Graziano
Salomone Di Saverio
Roberto Luca Meniconi
Eleonora Guaitoli
Andrea Mazzarri
SPIGC Working Group
Publication date: 01-06-2020
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Keyword: COVID-19
Published in: Updates in Surgery / Issue 2/2020
Print ISSN: 2038-131X
Electronic ISSN: 2038-3312
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13304-020-00811-9

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on surgical residency programmes in Italy: a nationwide analysis on behalf of the Italian Polyspecialistic Young Surgeons Society (SPIGC)

Abstract

Introduction

Materials and methods

Results

Conclusion

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Introduction

Materials and methods

Results

Conclusion

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 2/2020

Colorectal surgery in Italy during the Covid19 outbreak: a survey from the iCral study group

Indocyanine green-enhanced fluorangiography (ICGf) in laparoscopic extraperitoneal rectal cancer resection

Perspectives from Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic: nationwide survey-based focus on minimally invasive HPB surgery

Is the minimally invasive trauma surgeon the next (r)evolution of trauma surgery? Indications and outcomes of diagnostic and therapeutic trauma laparoscopy in a level 1 trauma centre

Kono-S anastomosis after intestinal resection for Crohn’s disease

What happened to surgical emergencies in the era of COVID-19 outbreak? Considerations of surgeons working in an Italian COVID-19 red zone