Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a heavy toll on health care workers. At the onset of the pandemic, there was a limited understanding of the unique experiences of minoritized and marginalized physicians* during this national health crisis. This was concerning because of the anecdotal and media reports documenting that Black, Indigenous and other physicians of color, LGBTQ+ physicians, and physicians with disabilities experienced unique negative experiences and undue burden during this public health crisis. Early in the epidemic it became clear that Black, American Indian and Indigenous, Latino/Latina/Latinx† and Hispanic and Pacific Islander communities, as well as historically marginalized and medically vulnerable populations, were disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Minoritized and marginalized physicians are more likely to serve other marginalized patients, practice primary care, and serve in medically marginalized areas.1,2 They therefore often bear a larger portion of the toll of this pandemic, compared to their counterparts. This study aims to center the unique experiences of these physicians and to explore the specific ways that the epidemic impacted them more negatively than their non-minoritized nonmarginalized counterparts. Understanding these unique experiences is essential to making the field of medicine more inclusive and aware of the unique tolls these physicians face. Various factors have historically contributed to the increased burden and negative experiences of minoritized and marginalized physicians. This study focused specifically on discrimination and burnout, as these factors have emerged as areas of necessary attention over the course of the pandemic, specifically as they relate to direct experiences of discrimination, mental health and well-being, physician practice sustainability, and availability of and access to telehealth services. Themes that emerged from the survey responses demonstrate that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing health inequities in the U.S.; Black physicians were negatively impacted by the epidemic in various ways; physician burnout remains a primary concern for all physicians regardless of race; and the increase in telehealth use, although accompanied by challenges, has been a positive development of the pandemic. These and other compelling findings are described in further detail in this report.
