A group of Wayne State University physicians are conducting a study on how COVID-19 is affecting the lives of doctors who are fathers.

The survey is a collaborative effort between students from the American Medical Women’s Association and Wayne State faculty at two clinical sites — Detroit Medical Center and Ascension St. John Hospital.

“A Global Study to Understand the Impact of COVID-19 on Father Physicians” will address a gap in the literature, namely how physician parents deal with outbreaks and epidemics and pandemics. The purpose of the study is to determine how COVID-19 has impacted the professional and personal lives of physicians who are fathers.

The researchers earlier launched a similar study on how the pandemic is affecting physicians who are mothers, collecting 3,400 survey responses.

Investigators include Claire Pearson, M.D., (principal investigator) associate professor of Emergency Medicine and director of Emergency Medicine Clinical Research at Ascension St. John Hospital; Teena Chopra M.D., M.P.H., professor of Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases, at WSU and corporate medical director of Infection Prevention and Hospital Epidemiology and Antibiotic Stewardship at the Detroit Medical Center and WSU; Anne Messman, M.D., associate professor and vice chair for Education, WSU Emergency Medicine; Miriam Levine, M.D., assistant professor, WSU Department of Infectious Diseases at Ascension St. John Hospital; medical student Lauren Robb; and Diane Levine, M.D., professor and vice chair for Education, WSU Department of Internal Medicine.

All physician fathers are eligible to complete the survey. The survey takes 12 to 15 minutes to complete, and participation is voluntary. Access the survey here.