JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has generated immense healthcare pressure, forcing critical decisions to be made in a socially alarmed environment. Adverse conditions have led to acute stress reactions, affective pathologies, and psychosomatic reactions among health personnel, which has been exacerbated by the successive waves of the pandemic. The recovery of the entire health system and its professionals has been hindered, making it essential to increase their resilience.

Objective:

This study aimed to analyze the coping strategies employed by healthcare workers in Ecuador during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to create a multimedia tool to enhance the well-being of health professionals.

Methods:

The "BE+ Against COVID-19" experience from Spain was transferred to Ecuador, where 6 focus groups of healthcare professionals were conducted to collect information on institutional and personal coping strategies.

Results:

The information collected from the actions carried out by the Ecuadorian healthcare workers was categorized into 4 types of coping strategies. A new audiovisual tool consisting of a series of PODCASTs was designed based on this study to spread these strategies globally in the Spanish-speaking world.

Conclusions:

The recovery of professionals to be prepared in the event of a possible new outbreak is crucial to ensure quality and patient safety. Interventions like this provide a way to obtain lessons learned and generate new tools for health professionals. Clinical Trial: Institutional approval was given for the development of focus groups (2022-0080-M).