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Physicians' weekly work hours decreased significantly after COVID-19 emerged in the United States, according to a research letter published online June 23 in JAMA Network Open. Researchers also found a decline in the percentage of physicians working full time and a rise in the percentage who were laid off.

"Physicians' work hours have significantly decreased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US, accelerating an existing, gradual decline," write Xiaochu Hu, PhD, and Michael J. Dill, both with the Association of American Medical Colleges, in Washington, DC. "These observed changes may reflect the decrease in health care utilization and the increased flexibilities instigated by COVID-19–driven regulations."

For the study, Hu and Dill analyzed monthly data from the Current Population Survey administered by the US Bureau of the Census. Participants were interviewed eight times over 16 months. The analysis included 8,853 observations from 2,563 physicians.

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