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Journal article - Technical Note
Survey of work-from-home experiences among medical physicists in Southern California during and after the COVID-19 pandemic
Journal of applied clinical medical physics, v 27(3), e70523
01 Mar 2026
PMID: 41733496
Featured in Collection : Drexel's Newest Publications
Abstract
Purpose
To evaluate the work-from-home (WFH) status of medical physicists in the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Southern California chapter (SCC) during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Materials and methods
An anonymous online survey was conducted through the SurveyMonkey platform and distributed to members of the AAPM SCC in January 2023. The 19 survey questions included eight multiple-choice questions to collect demographic and background information, ten Likert-scale items evaluating reasons for WFH, efficiency, flexibility, clinical coverage, collegial relationships, leadership trust, work hours, operating costs, employee satisfaction, and impacts on education, training, and research, plus one open-ended question to obtain qualitative feedback. and the data was analyzed using both quantitative and qualitive methods. Quantitative data were summarized using descriptive statistics, while qualitative responses were thematically categorized.
Results
At the end of a 5-week collection period (January 3, 2023, to February 10, 2023), a total of 62 responses were received (33% response rate). Most respondents identified the COVID-19 pandemic as the primary driver of WFH and reported that remote work increased job satisfaction, flexibility, and productivity while enabling timely completion of clinical duties. Reported concerns included reduced collegial relationships, limited trust in leadership, extended work beyond official hours, and decreased visibility relative to other clinical staff. Qualitative responses emphasized benefits such as reduced commuting and improved work–life balance, along with challenges for on-site clinical duties and training. Hybrid work models were frequently identified as the most practical long-term solution.
Conclusions
This pilot study compared the WFH status among medical physicists from AAPM SCC during and after the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights both advantages and limitations of WFH for medical physicists. WFH offers notable benefits for medical physicists, including enhanced flexibility and satisfaction. However, essential clinical responsibilities require on-site presence. These findings support the development of tailored hybrid work models and inform future workforce strategies. Expansion to a national survey is planned to further evaluate WFH practices within the medical physics community.
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Details
- Title
- Survey of work-from-home experiences among medical physicists in Southern California during and after the COVID-19 pandemic
- Creators
- Xiaoyu Liu - University of California, San FranciscoJennifer Zhang - Drexel UniversityDavid Hoffman - California Cancer Associates for Research and ExcellenceVarun Sehgal - University of California, IrvineZhilei L. Shen - University of Southern CaliforniaChengyu Shi - City Of Hope National Medical CenterX. Sharon Qi - University of California, Los AngelesJing Cui - Cedars-Sinai Medical CenterAmy S. Yu - Stanford UniversityMargaret Barker - MemorialCare Health SystemDan Ruan - University of California, Los AngelesSteve Goetsch - San Diego Cardiac Center
- Publication Details
- Journal of applied clinical medical physics, v 27(3), e70523
- Grant note
- AAPM Southern California chapter American Association of Physicists in Medicine (100007325)
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- College of Medicine
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001698722300001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-105031190610
- Other Identifier
- 991022165636604721