A cross-sectional survey of psychiatrists’ experiences of using telepsychiatry during the COVID-19 pandemic and the relationship with burnout in selected high, middle, and low-income countries

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated substantial modifications in the delivery of patient care on a global scale. Telemedicine-based care services were implemented worldwide to maximize access to healthcare systems. Aims: This study aimed to investigate the use of and satisfaction with telepsychiatry services implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic by psychiatrists across low, middle, and high income countries, and to assess levels of burnout among psychiatrists providing telepsychiatry services in different settings and countries. We hypothesized that use of telepsychiatry will have increased during the pandemic and is associated with increased risk of burnout. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from October 2020 to June 2021 on psychiatrists practicing in Egypt, United Kingdom, Croatia, Belgium, Indonesia, Italy, and El Salvador. Participants were asked to provide sociodemographic data and to complete a questionnaire developed ad-hoc by the authors on telepsychiatry use, the Modified Arizona Telemedicine Program Satisfaction (MATPS) survey and the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory questionnaire. Results: A total of 347 participants completed the survey. Sixty three percent indicated that they had not utilized teleservices for clinical consultation or academic purposes prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. A substantial shift was observed during the pandemic, with this percentage increasing to 98%. Over two-thirds of psychiatrists expressed satisfaction with the visual (76%) and audio (77%) aspects of teleconsultation. No significant correlation was found between burnout and satisfaction. While older age was negatively correlated with burnout levels, years of experience showed a positive correlation with levels of burnout. Conclusion: While there was an increased acceptance and satisfaction with teleconsultation, a persistent preference for in-person consultations remained. The study did not find a correlation between satisfaction in telepsychiatry and levels of burnout. Moreover, increasing age was correlated with lower burn out rate, whereas a correlation between years of experience and heightened levels of burnout was evident.