Patient perceptions of urgency of their pelvic floor disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Introduction and hypothesis During the COVID-19 pandemic, many surgical societies released guidelines that included cancellation of elective cases. The aim of this study was to better understand our patients’ perceptions of the severity of their pelvic floor disorders (PFDs) and to determine what factors influenced this perception. We also aimed to better understand who might be amenable to telemedicine visits and what factors influenced this decision. Methods This is a cross-sectional quality improvement study that included women at least 18 years of age diagnosed with a pelvic floor disorder being evaluated within a university Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients whose appointments and procedures were being cancelled were queried on whether they would be willing to answer a telephone questionnaire developed by the clinical and research teams. We gathered descriptive data from 97 female patients with PFDs using a primary phone questionnaire. The data were analyzed using proportions and descriptive statistics. Results Of the 97 patients, the majority (79%) viewed their conditions as non-urgent. Factors that influenced patients’ perception of urgency included race ( p =0.037), health status ( p ≤0.001), a history of diabetes ( p =0.011), and willingness to attend an in-person appointment ( p =0.010). Further, 52% of respondents were willing to attend a tele-health appointment. Statistically significant factors influencing this decision were ethnicity ( p =0.019), marital status ( p =0.019), and willingness to attend an in-person appointment ( p =0.011). Conclusion The majority of women did not view their conditions as urgent during the COVID-19 pandemic and were amenable to a telehealth appointment.