Experiences of U.S. frontline physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study

TL;DR

This study explores the challenges and experiences of U.S. frontline physicians during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Contribution

The study provides new qualitative insights into how physicians adapted to pandemic-related changes in patient care and system organization.

Findings

Physicians identified facilitators like organizational support and peer debriefing that helped with patient care and wellbeing.

Barriers included unclear guidelines and poor communication, which hindered effective pandemic response.

Acute stressors like fear of exposure and feeling unprepared significantly impacted physician wellbeing.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic caused profound and rapid changes in patient care and healthcare system organization. There is a compelling need for insight into the challenges that confronted physicians during the early phase of the pandemic to identify successful adaptations and strategies that minimize disruption to patient care and protect clinician wellbeing. The purpose of this study was to understand physicians’ lived experiences of providing patient care during the early COVID-19 pandemic.

This qualitative, descriptive study used a thematic analysis approach. The sample included 17 physicians from five specialties with direct care experience of COVID-19 patients (infectious disease, primary care, emergency medicine, critical care, and hospitalists). Participants were identified through snowball sampling. Data were collected through focus groups and interviews in May and June 2020 and analyzed with an inductive and deductive approach using thematic analysis.

Three overarching themes relating to patient care delivery during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic were identified: facilitators, barriers, and acute stressors. Facilitator subthemes included: organizational logistical and operational support, organizational support for self-care and wellness, and peer and family support/debriefing. Barrier subthemes included: lack of clear and consistent governmental guidelines and organizational support, uncertainty resulting from poor communication or lack of information, and interpersonal barriers to physician self-care and wellbeing. Stressor subthemes included: concern about exposure, feeling unprepared, and anticipating the worst.

Physicians reported that both patient care and their own wellbeing were greatly impacted by organizational and systems level facilitators and barriers. Findings from this study can inform the creation of best practices, tools, and strategies that can assist with future emergency preparedness and pandemic response planning efforts.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13690-025-01609-0.