The COVID-19 Healthcare Personnel Study (CHPS): Overview, Methods and Preliminary Report

IntroductionThe COVID-19 Healthcare Personnel Study (CHPS) was designed to assess and mitigate adverse short and long-term physical and mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on New York’s health care workforce. Here we report selected baseline results.MethodsOnline survey of New York State physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants registered with the New York State Department of Health. Survey-weighted descriptive results were analyzed using frequencies, proportions, and means, with 95% confidence intervals. Odds ratios were calculated for association using survey-weighted logistic regression.ResultsApproximately 51.5% (95% CI 49.1, 54.0) of the survey-weighted respondents reported having worked directly or in close physical contact with COVID-19 patients. Of those tested for COVID-19, 27.3% (95% CI 22.5, 32.2) were positive. Having symptoms consistent with COVID-19 was associated with reporting a subsequent positive COVID-19 test (OR=14.0, 95% CI 5.7, 34.7). Over half of the respondents, (57.6%) reported a negative impact of the COVID-19 efforts on their mental health. Respondents who indicated that they were redeployed or required to do different functions than usual in response to COVID-19 were more likely to report negative mental health impacts (OR=1.3, 95% CI 1.1, 1.6).ConclusionsAt the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York State in Spring 2020, more than half of physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants included in this study responded to the crisis, often at a cost to their physical and mental health and disruption to their lives.