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How does COVID‐19 impact psoriasis practice, prescription patterns, and healthcare delivery for psoriasis patients? A cross‐sectional survey study
Author(s) -
ELKomy Mohamed H.M.,
Abdelnaby Asmaa,
ElKalioby Mona
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of cosmetic dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.626
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1473-2165
pISSN - 1473-2130
DOI - 10.1111/jocd.14104
Subject(s) - medicine , psoriasis , medical prescription , acitretin , pandemic , cross sectional study , dermatology , teledermatology , health care , covid-19 , observational study , hydroxychloroquine , disease , telemedicine , nursing , infectious disease (medical specialty) , pathology , economics , economic growth
Abstract Background Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease that needs continuous medical care. During COVID‐19, delivering medical service was negatively affected. Aims To describe the impact of COVID‐19 on psoriasis healthcare delivery, management, and practice. Methods This observational cross‐sectional study was conducted on 197 dermatologists using a validated online questionnaire. The survey evaluated the effect of COVID‐19 on the decisions, prescription patterns, appointments rescheduling, and healthcare delivery for psoriasis patients by dermatologists. The questionnaire was developed and validated with a reliability score >0.7. Results During the pandemic, most dermatologists delayed initiating biological/immunosuppressive therapy for psoriasis unless urgently needed by the patient. For patients already receiving biologics or immunosuppressive treatment, most dermatologists favored continuation of therapy. Almost half (44.2%) of participants do not perform SARS‐CoV‐2 PCR screening before initiating biologics/immunosuppressive therapy. Dermatologists also reported an increased prescription of topical medications (79.2%), natural sunlight (28.4%), acitretin (26.9%), and home UVB (21.3%). Opinions regarding the use of hydroxychloroquine for COVID‐19 treatment/prophylaxis for psoriasis patients were controversial. Intervals between face‐to‐face follow‐up visits were prolonged by 71.6% of dermatologists. More than half of participants reported that their patients discontinued treatment without medical consultation. More than three fourth of responders either agreed or strongly agreed that COVID‐19 negatively affected psoriasis patients. Conclusions The COVID‐19 pandemic has a negative impact on psoriasis management and healthcare delivery. Dermatologists are cautious about using biologics and immunosuppressive drugs during the pandemic, making case‐by‐case decisions. Psoriasis patients need compliance monitoring, and psychological support during the pandemic, which can be facilitated by teledermatology.