ՀԱՄԱՎԱՐԱԿԻՑ ՔԱՂԱԾ ԴԱՍԵՐ. ՌԱԴԻՈԼՈԳԻԱԿԱՆ ԾԱՌԱՅՈՒԹՅԱՆ ԿԱԶՄԱԿԵՐՊՄԱՆ ԱՌԱՆՁՆԱՀԱՏԿՈՒԹՅՈՒՆՆԵՐԸ COVID-19 ՀԱՄԱՎԱՐԱԿԻ ՊԱՅՄԱՆՆԵՐՈՒՄ

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a significant health crisis worldwide, disrupting medical services and presenting challenges for radiological departments. This study aims to examine the organizational peculiarities of radiological services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The objectives include assessing staff capacity, workload, losses, and gains in radiological departments, and comparing the advantages of CT scans over PCR tests due to the high rate of false-negative results in the latter. A qualitative study was conducted using in-depth interviews with 14 radiologists from eight medical centers in Yerevan. The interview guide served as the research instrument, focusing on the workload, staffing, and diagnostic accuracy in radiological departments during the pandemic. The study revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic led to excessive workload and stress among radiologists, manifested through reduced productivity, errors, and behavioral changes. Staff shortages and the high rate of false-negative PCR test results caused significant challenges. Radiological services faced numerous challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, including staffing issues and diagnostic inaccuracies. Future pandemic preparedness should focus on ensuring adequate staffing and reliable diagnostic tools, along with mental health support for healthcare workers.