The Impact of COVID-19 on Medical Research: Perceived by Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences Colleges in the University of Sharjah

TL;DR

This study examines how the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted medical research activities among faculty at the University of Sharjah, highlighting the need for better institutional support during health crises.

Contribution

The study provides insights into the specific challenges faced by medical researchers during the pandemic and emphasizes the need for institutional strategies to mitigate future disruptions.

Findings

Most researchers faced significant disruptions in subject recruitment due to pandemic restrictions.

Senior researchers were more likely to encounter access issues to facilities and archives.

Cross-sectional and case-control study researchers felt less threatened by the pandemic's impact.

Abstract

Background

The role of medical research has increased in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which imposed several limitations, including a stay-at-home policy, lockdown, and travel restrictions. These constraints strained the research system, making participant recruitment and data gathering difficult. The study highlights significant disruptions in research activities among faculty at the University of Sharjah during the COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring the need for improved institutional strategies to support research continuity during future health crises.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 101 participants who completed a self-administered questionnaire comprising three main sections: demographics, research activities, and the impact on research conduction. Data was collected via email and analyzed using SPSS version 22.0. A Chi-square test with a 5% significance level was employed.

Results

Out of 101 participants, 61.39% were men, and around 45% were aged 42-50 years. Most were established researchers from the College of Medicine. Of these, 45% conducted lab work research. COVID-19 significantly impacted research stages, particularly subject recruitment. Researchers in cross-sectional and case-control studies felt less threatened about losing their research. Senior researchers were 5.68 times more likely to face access issues to facilities, archives, or medical centers compared to established researchers. Gender, college, researcher level, and study design type had no significant impact on the number of research projects.

Conclusion

The study highlights significant disruptions in research activities among faculty at the University of Sharjah during the COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring the need for improved institutional strategies to support research continuity during future health crises.

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