Stress assessment among internal medicine residents in a level-3 hospital versus a level-2 hospital with only emergency room service for COVID-19

BACKGROUND: Treating COVID-19 patients can affect anxiety. OBJECTIVE: To compare the anxiety of internal medicine residents treating COVID-19 patients at a level-3 hospital with a level-2 hospital. METHODS: A questionnaire related to COVID-19 and anxiety using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S) was sent to internal medicine residents of a COVID-19 referral level-3 hospital and a level-2 hospital from which all diagnosed COVID-19 cases are transferred to the COVID-19 referral hospital. RESULTS: Responses were received from 76.3% of the internal medicine residents. There was no difference in the anxiety scores between residents from the level-3 center (44.4) and the level-2 center (44.4), p = 0.9. There was a significant difference between the number of residents from the level-3 center, 22/56 (63%) and the number of residents from the level-2 center, 1/10 (10%) who were concerned about better protective gear (p = 0.003) and between residents from the level-3 center19/35 (54%) and those from the level-2 center, 1/10 (10%) who were concerned about infecting their families (p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The internal medicine resident anxiety scores were not a function of hospital level, but safety was less of a concerns in the level-2 center with only emergency room COVID-19 services.