Evaluation of Positive Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on Emergency Physicians: A Qualitative Study

Sadeghzadehbahnemiri, Mehdi; Aminian, Nasrin; Aghili, Seyed Mojtaba; Akhgar, Atousa; Aqavil-Jahromi, Saeed; Zahraie, Mehrnoush; Akbari, Hamide; Chegin, Mahdi; Eftekhari, Mohammad; Zangi, Mahdi

doi:10.22034/rspr.2026.25.1.1485

Evaluation of Positive Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on Emergency Physicians: A Qualitative Study

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Mehdi Sadeghzadehbahnemiri ¹

Nasrin Aminian ²

Seyed Mojtaba Aghili ¹

Atousa Akhgar ¹

Saeed Aqavil-Jahromi ¹

Mehrnoush Zahraie ¹

Hamide Akbari ¹^{, 3}

Mahdi Chegin ³

Mohammad Eftekhari ¹^{, 4}

Mahdi Zangi ⁴^{, 5}

¹ Department of Emergency Medicine, Imam-Khomeini Hospital Complex, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran

² Chronic Respiratory Diseases Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

³ Department of Emergency Medicine, Peymanie Hospital, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran

⁴ Prehospital and Hospital Emergency Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Science (TUMS), School of Medicine, Tehran, Iran

⁵ Department of Orthopedic Surgery & Musculoskeletal Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand.

10.22034/rspr.2026.25.1.1485

Abstract

Background: Emergency physicians (EPs) in a disaster situation should adopt coping strategies that consider the positive aspects. We aimed to evaluate the positive aspects of our EPs’ thoughts and personal and professional lives during the COVID pandemic.
Materials and Methods: This qualitative study was conducted at Tehran University of Medical Sciences-affiliated hospitals from November 2022 to July 2023. The attending EPs were interviewed using a semi-structured Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis method. Three pilot interviews were conducted by the interviewer. Two authors assessed the saturation and derived codes, and any conflicts were resolved by a third author through thematic analysis of the transcripts.
Results: Nineteen EPs, mostly male (69%) and assistant professors (52%), were incorporated into our study. The themes and subthemes were thoughts (to live in the present, determinism versus libertarianism, and faded values became more evident), personal life (the opportunity for social distancing and wellness and work-life balance), and professional life (decreased non-COVID patient volume, interpersonal relationships, sense of community, disaster management, improved adherence to hygiene, online usage, research, and opportunity for international education).
Conclusion: We found positive effects on the thought process and personal and professional lives of EPs, which could lead to the use of coping strategies.

Keywords

Qualitative study

Coronavirus

Emergency medicine

Work-Life balance

Subjects