Exploring the Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic on Pediatric Palliative Care Clinician Personal and Professional Well-Being: a qualitative analysis of U.S. Survey Data.

Context The COVID-19 pandemic has had a dramatic impact on palliative care delivery and patient experiences. Less is known about the experiences and responses of palliative care clinicians. Objective We aimed to describe the pandemic's impact on pediatric palliative care clinicians' personal and professional wellbeing. Methods The Palliative Assessment of Needed DEvelopments &Modifications In the Era of Coronavirus (PANDEMIC) cross-sectional online survey was posted on 7 professional listservs between May and June, 2020. We conducted a conventional content analysis of written responses to three open-ended questions regarding the lasting impact of COVID-19. Results Of 207 multidisciplinary respondents from 80 U.S. cities, 148 (71%) provided written responses to open-ended questions and 62 responses (42%) were related to personal, professional, or existential well-being. These responses were sorted into 4 major categories: personal burdens, professional burdens, personal benefits, and professional benefits. Respondents described burdens more commonly than they did benefits (67% versus 33% of comments, respectively). Personal burdens related to increased fear and uncertainty, fear of bringing the virus home, and a sense of collective grief. Professional burdens included a sense of exhaustion, a challenge with work-life balance, personal experiences with colleagues infected with the virus, and considerations of leaving healthcare altogether. Personal benefits included lessons-learned, an evolving sense of what matters, and improved work-life balance. Professional benefits included opportunities for professional development and a sense of professional purpose. Conclusion Pediatric palliative care clinicians perceive a breadth of impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. Ongoing clinician assessment is important as the pandemic continues.