Effect of patient COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy on hospital care team perceptions

Table 1 Baseline characteristics of study cohort and responses on anger and stress tools, n = 66 (%)

Variable	Study cohort
Age, mean ± SD	40.5 ± 10.1
Male sex	28 (42)
Occupation
Physicians	37 (56)
Nursing staff	22 (33)
Department managers/vice	7 (11)
Medical field
Internal or general medicine	36 (54)
Psychiatry	7 (11)
Intensive care unit	4 (6)
Emergency department	5 (8)
Other	14 (21)
Vaccinated to COVID-19	64 (97)
Prior COVID-19 disease	12 (18)
Anger, mean ± SDa	1.8 ± 0.4
Workplace stress, mean ± SDb	3.1 ± 1

^aMean score in the STAXI instrument, 4-point Likert scale.

^bMean score Shirom-Melamed bournout measure, 7-point Likert scale.

COVID-19: Coronavirus disease 2019.

Table 2 Comparison of responses to selected questions regarding unvaccinated and vaccinated coronavirus disease 2019 patients

Questionsa	Unvaccinated, mean ± SD	Vaccinated, mean ± SD	P value
Tool 1-difficult doctor-patient relation questionnaire (7-point Likert scale)b
Do you expect to see clinical improvement in a COVID-19 patient?	3.8 ± 1.6	5.5 ± 1.3	< 0.001
How frustrating is a patient with COVID-19?	4.8 ± 2.0	3.2 ± 2.0	< 0.001
How frustrated are you with treating a COVID-19 patient?	4.7 ± 2.0	2.8 ± 1.8	< 0.001
Are you satisfied when you care for COVID-19 patients?	3.9 ± 2.0	4.6 ± 1.8	0.001
How time consuming is caring for COVID-19 patients?	5.0 ± 1.6	4.1 ± 1.5	< 0.001
How enthusiastic do you feel about caring for a COVID-19 patient?	2.8 ± 1.8	3.2 ± 1.8	0.09
How difficult is it to communicate with a COVID-19 patient?	3.4 ± 1.8	2.4 ± 1.5	< 0.001
Tool 2-perception of patient’s responsibility questionnaire (7-point Likert scale)b
I believe a COVID-19 patient is responsible for his illness	5.1 ± 1.8	2.1 ± 1.5	< 0.001
COVID-19 patients consciously endanger their family and environment	5.4 ± 1.9	2.3 ± 1.7	< 0.001
COVID-19 patients have a bad influence on my personal life	3.6 ± 2.2	1.6 ± 1.2	< 0.001
COVID-19 patients deserve to occupy beds in the ICU	5.1 ± 1.9	5.9 ± 1.8	0.002
I believe that social sanctions should be imposed on people un/vaccinated to COVID-19	4.2 ± 2.1	1.4 ± 1.1	< 0.001
I believe that economic sanctions should be imposed on people un/vaccinated to COVID-19	4.1 ± 2.2	1.4 ± 1.0	< 0.001
Un/vaccinated COVID-19 patients make it impossible to eradicate the pandemic	5.0 ± 2.2	1.8 ± 1.2	< 0.001
Tool 3-characterological derogation questionnaire (7-point Likert scale)b
A patient with COVID-19 is polite	3.4 ± 1.4	3.9 ± 1.3	0.001
A patient with COVID-19 is responsible	2.5 ± 1.6	5.2 ± 1.8	< 0.001
A patient with COVID-19 is mature	2.7 ± 1.6	4.9 ± 1.7	< 0.001
A patient with COVID-19 is nice	3.4 ± 1.4	3.9 ± 1.4	0.01
A patient with COVID-19 is selfish	4.6 ± 2.1	2.4 ± 1.7	< 0.001
A patient with COVID-19 is ignorant	4.8 ± 1.9	2.6 ± 1.7	< 0.001

^aAll questions were answered twice, first regarding vaccinated patients and second regarding unvaccinated patients.

^bAnswers ranged from 1 (“not at all”) to 7 (“highly agree”).

COVID-19: Coronavirus disease 2019; ICU: Intensive care unit.