Knowledge and Practice of Anesthesiologists to Manage COVID-19 Patients: A Report from Northern Iran

Abstract

Background: The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly impacted healthcare systems worldwide, highlighting the necessity for effective management strategies among medical professionals, particularly anesthesiologists. Objectives: Due to the limited literature in this field, this study aimed to assess the knowledge and practice of Guilan province anesthesiologists regarding the management of COVID-19 patients. Methods: This cross-sectional analytical multicenter study was conducted in Guilan academic and private hospitals throughout the years 2022 - 2023. The data collection device was a researcher-made questionnaire, which included two parts: (1) Demographic data and (2) twenty questions to assess the method of COVID-19 management by physicians. Results: A total of 70 physicians participated in this study, including 15 (21.4%) faculty members, 46 (65.7%) from the private sector, and 9 (12.9%) anesthesia residents. The results illustrated that there was a statistically significant difference between the obtained scores and years of experience (P = 0.022), academic degree (P < 0.001), and completion of educational courses of COVID-19 (P = 0.02). Using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov (KS) test, it was determined that the distribution of data related to the sum of scores obtained from the questionnaire measuring awareness of the management of patients with COVID-19 by the specialists and anesthesia residents in the study did not have a normal distribution (KS = 0.161 and P < 0.001). Conclusions: This study underscores the urgent need for targeted educational interventions to improve anesthetists' knowledge and practices related to COVID-19 management. Continuous professional development and training programs are essential to ensure healthcare professionals are equipped to handle such public health emergencies effectively.