Cross-Sectional Assessment of Surgical Consult Volume to Determine Optimal Residency Staffing During COVID-19 Lockdown

INTRODUCTION: Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been protocols initiated to reduce its transmission. Despite these measures, critical hospital staff are still at risk of infection with subsequent loss of the workforce. The purpose of this study was to determine the difference in surgical consult volume during a COVID-19 pandemic to extrapolate staffing requirements. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a single-center cross-sectional study of surgical consult volume during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were obtained from routine administrative records which track daily volume of all surgical consults, including trauma center activations, performed by the general surgery residency. We compared the mean number of consults across periods defined by salient lockdown and reopening events in the community using one-way analysis of variance. RESULTS: We found a statistically significant decrease in the mean number of surgical consults during the state-mandated lockdown/stay-at-home orders (P < 0.001). However, there was no significant difference in the mean number of surgical consults when only comparing prelockdown and postlockdown (lockdown period excluded). CONCLUSIONS: No change in expected consult volume should be assumed unless there is a complete lockdown. During a complete population lockdown/stay-at-home orders, decreased staffing can be scheduled to allow considerations of decreasing community or in-hospital spread of communicable disease. Once reopening happens, even if only partly, full staffing may be needed to accommodate a return to normal consult volume.