PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Fargen, Kyle M
AU  - Leslie-Mazwi, Thabele M
AU  - Klucznik, Richard P
AU  - Wolfe, Stacey Q
AU  - Brown, Patrick
AU  - Ansari, Sameer A
AU  - Dabus, Guilherme
AU  - Spiotta, Alejandro M
AU  - Mokin, Maxim
AU  - Hassan, Ameer E
AU  - Liebeskind, David
AU  - Welch, Babu G
AU  - Siddiqui, Adnan H
AU  - Hirsch, Joshua A
TI  - The professional and personal impact of the coronavirus pandemic on US neurointerventional practices: a nationwide survey
AID  - 10.1136/neurintsurg-2020-016513
DP  - 2020 Oct 01
TA  - Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery
PG  - 927--931
VI  - 12
IP  - 10
4099  - http://jnis.bmj.com/content/12/10/927.short
4100  - http://jnis.bmj.com/content/12/10/927.full
SO  - J NeuroIntervent Surg2020 Oct 01; 12
AB  - Background Little is currently known about the effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on neurointerventional (NI) procedural volumes or its toll on physician wellness.Methods A 37-question online survey was designed and distributed to physician members of three NI physician organizations.Results A total of 151 individual survey responses were obtained. Reduced mechanical thrombectomy procedures compared with pre-pandemic were observed with 32% reporting a greater than 50% reduction in thrombectomy volumes. In concert with most (76%) reporting at least a 25% reduction in non-mechanical thrombectomy urgent NI procedures and a nearly unanimous (96%) cessation of non-urgent elective cases, 68% of physicians reported dramatic reductions (>50%) in overall NI procedural volume compared with pre-pandemic. Increased door-to-puncture times were reported by 79%. COVID-19-positive infections occurred in 1% of physician respondents: an additional 8% quarantined for suspected infection. Sixty-six percent of respondents reported increased career stress, 56% increased personal life/family stress, and 35% increased career burnout. Stress was significantly increased in physicians with COVID-positive family members (P<0.05).Conclusions This is the first study designed to understand the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on NI physician practices, case volumes, compensation, personal/family stresses, and work-related burnout. Future studies examining these factors following the resumption of elective cases and relaxing of social distancing measures will be necessary to better understand these phenomena.