Table.
Changes to the emergency medicine clinician workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic in 136 emergency departments.
| Emergency Department Type | Mean Hours Worked Per Week Prepandemic | Mean Hours Worked Per Week During Pandemic | Mean Change in Hours Worked Per Week | % Reduction in Hours Worked | Total Hours Reduced During Pandemic (28 Weeks) | Total Reduction in Full-Time-Equivalents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physician workforce | ||||||
| Freestanding EDs | 4,057 | 3,909 | −148 | −3.6 | 4,144 | 5.5 |
| Small EDs | 6,397 | 6,158 | −239 | −3.7 | 6,692 | 8.9 |
| Medium EDs | 14,261 | 11,719 | −2,542 | −17.8 | 71,176 | 94.1 |
| Large EDs | 6,748 | 4,969 | −1,779 | −26.4 | 49,812 | 65.9 |
| Total | 31,463 | 26,755 | −4,708 | −15.0 | 131,824 | 174.4 |
| Advanced practice provider workforce | ||||||
| Freestanding EDs | 589 | 302 | −287 | −48.7 | 8,036 | 10.6 |
| Small EDs | 2,187 | 1,418 | −769 | −35.2 | 21,532 | 28.5 |
| Medium EDs | 11,089 | 8,379 | −2,710 | −24.4 | 75,880 | 100.4 |
| Large EDs | 5,738 | 4,286 | −1,452 | −25.3 | 40,656 | 53.8 |
| Total | 19,603 | 14,385 | −5,218 | −26.6 | 146,104 | 193.3 |
Note: Clinician hours worked show totals and means across 24 freestanding EDs, 40 small EDs (<30,000 visits/year), 56 medium EDs (30,000 to 59,999 visits/year), and 16 large EDs (>60,000 visits/year). Full-time-equivalents are defined at 108 hours worked/month (27 hours/week). Prepandemic refers to the first 11 weeks of 2020 (excluding week 1) through March 14. Pandemic period refers to the next 28 weeks, from March 15 to September 26, 2020.