As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose unprecedented impact on California’s health care system, the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) in conjunction with Goodwin Simon Strategic Research, conducted a statewide survey of California health care providers. The poll provides insights into the impact of COVID-19 on providers’ mental health and morale, views of their patients’ mental and physical health, their experiences with telehealth, and the availability of personal protective equipment, as well as other topics.

The survey was conducted in late September among 1,202 doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and behavioral health specialists.

As detailed in the survey, California health care providers are experiencing significant emotional and mental impacts from caring for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Between half and two-thirds of health care providers say they feel emotionally drained, frustrated, overworked, and burned out — and are struggling to balance work and family.

Telehealth — A Positive Sign

The survey found the number of health care providers using telehealth has grown dramatically during the pandemic — with 30% of providers saying they used telehealth for patient visits before COVID-19 and 79% saying they were using telehealth by September. More than 8 in 10 providers (84%) using telehealth consider it “very” or “somewhat” effective for providing care to their patients, and 89% would continue to rely on telehealth if payments for telehealth and in-person visits remain comparable.

The full report, available in Document Downloads below, shows data broken down by provider type, by safety-net or non-safety-net providers, and by patients of color. Also available are the “topline” (key results and a complete question list), charts, and a press release about the poll.