Surgeons in training in the face of COVID-19 pandemic in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia: A cross sectional study tackling capabilities, opportunities, and motivation

Background: Urgent safety measures and management protocols of COVID-19 are continuously being updated. Surgical residents, amongst other health-care professionals, need to modify their clinical practice both in and out of the operating room. Understanding and applying the communicated guidelines are crucial to limit the spread of the virus. Objective: To estimate the extent of association between clinical behaviors and the recommended practice guidelines, issued by national and international health agencies, during the COVID-19 pandemic among surgical residents in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with 52 surgical residents training in affiliated teaching public and private hospitals. Correlations were conducted to estimate the associations between knowledge, perception, motivation, and surgical residents' clinical behavior. Further cluster analysis was conducted to identify groups of people with similar patterns of clinical behavior. Results: The response rate was 52%. Surgical residents' behavior and their adherence to practice guidelines were varied and individualized. Nearly 50% lacked some fundamental bio-medical and disease specific knowledge. Despite demonstrating a fair knowledge on the transmission aspect of the disease, less than 60% agreed on ways of infection control and usefulness of personal protective equipment and nearly 50% did not endorse the use of facemasks and gloves. High levels of stress with respect to COVID-19 was reported by 63%; 58% were confident with their personal safety techniques, and 80% needed more information about the COVID-19. Conclusion: The results suggest a collective action is needed at both the personal and institutional level to increase compliance with the recommended guidelines.