The Impact of COVID-19 on Medical Practice: A Nationwide Survey of Dermatologists and Healthcare Providers

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed medical practice worldwide. It posed a significant impact on different health services, including dermatology. Methods and objectives: Two online surveys were conducted to determine the prevalence of personal protective equipment-related skin complications (200 healthcare providers were included) and to demonstrate the outbreak s impact on dermatology practice (100 dermatologists were included). Results: In the first survey, the response rate was 72.46%. PPE- related dermatoses were reported by 147 (73%) participants, including frictional dermatitis (51.9%), mechanical acne (33.1%), contact dermatitis (29.9%), nonspecific rash (17.5%), urticaria (9.1%) and skin infections (3.2%). The response rate of the second survey was 64%. COVID-19 emerging cutaneous manifestations were recognized by 20% of dermatologists, including maculopapular rash (41.67%), urticaria (37.50%), chilblain (25%) and vasculitis (16.67). Telemedicine was provided by 73% of the dermatologists. The relapse rates of psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, rosacea, vitiligo and alopecia areata were noticeably increased as observed by 62%, 50%, 20%, and 4% of dermatologists, respectively. Most dermatologists (89%) reported minimal use of immunosuppressive drugs amid the pandemic. Conclusions: This article highlights the pivotal role of dermatologists in the leading edge during the current health crisis and how they adapt to these unfamiliar circumstances to meet the challenges. It documents the emergence of PPE-related dermatoses among healthcare providers and the impact of COVID-19 on different aspects of dermatology practice.