By the numbers: How cardiologists have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in massive changes for healthcare providers all over the world. A new survey from MedAxiom explores that impact on cardiology in great detail.
Eighty-nine cardiovascular care organizations responded to the survey in late March. While 36% of the organizations employed 31 to 100 cardiologists, another 13.5% employed 21 to 30 and 28% employed 11 to 20. The final 22.5% employed a maximum of 10 cardiologists.
Overall, as any practicing cardiologists would have likely predicted, cardiovascular care providers noted significant drops in revenue. In the first quarter alone, more than 25% of practices anticipate a drop of 50-75%. More than 36% of practices anticipate a drop of 25-50%.
The survey also explored the fact that groups are being forced to make significant staffing changes.
“We are seeing a shift in staffing with so much of the work rescheduled,” according to the report. “Programs are shifting as much work virtually as possible but furloughed and paid leaves are a reality.”
More than 10% of respondents said they plan to place 25-50% of all staff on unpaid leave. Meanwhile, nearly 30% of respondents plan to put 25-50% of all staff on paid leave.
Another statistic tracked by MedAxiom was how many clinics have had to be closed as a result of the pandemic. More than 15% of respondents, for example, reported that 50-75% of their clinics have been closed. More than 17% of respondents said the number of closed clinics falls in the 25-50% range.
In addition, more than 19% of new patient scheduled visits have been changed to virtual visits instead of face-to-face interactions. More than 28%, meanwhile, have been rescheduled.
Medical imaging is another area where a lot of rescheduling has taken place. More than 42% of respondents reported rescheduling 25-50% of all imaging examinations—more than 14% have had to reschedule more than 75%.
“Programs described reviewing all imaging schedules with the goal to move all elective studies to a safe time,” according to the report. “Programs will need to be ready for a significant wave of volumes in the next few months as well as assure that none of these have fallen through the cracks.”
“COVID-19 is proving to have far bigger impact than any of us could have imagined at the beginning,” according to the report. “Major shifts in delivery models, patient volumes, staffing and revenue are being seen by every single program across the nation. We are working diligently to provide the most up-to-date information, resources for delivery model and regulatory changes. The good news about this pandemic situation is that the CV community has come together like never before to learn from each other, support each other, and advocate for resources and support.”
The full survey report can be read here as a PDF.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.