Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with hidradenitis suppurativa.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused collateral damage to patients with acute and chronic conditions. In this mono-centre cross-sectional study, we sought to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). In June 2020, we sent an anonymous survey to 109 patients, who were diagnosed with HS in our outpatient clinic from May 2018 to April 2020. Fifty patients (45.9%) completed and returned the survey. Forty-five participants (90.0%) denied any cancellation of hospitalisation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hospitalisation was postponed in 8% of cases and cancelled in 2%. Compared to prior to the pandemic, fewer patients consulted their primary physician for changing wound dressings and more changed the dressings themselves or were assisted by their family members. 13% of patients avoided doctor visits due to fear of COVID-19 and 26.1% minimised doctor visits. The Dermatology Life Quality Index showed a moderate to very severe impact on patients' Quality of Life (mean score = 10.06). Only one patient used telemedicine. Due to limited access to primary care and fear of COVID-19, the pandemic had a detectable impact on the hospital management of patients with HS in our facility. Telemedicine still plays a negligible role in primary wound care.

Impact of COVID-19 on wound care in Germany.

Recent studies showed that the COVID-19 pandemic caused collateral damage in health care in terms of reduced hospital submissions or postponed treatment of other acute or chronic ill patients. An anonymous survey was sent out by mail to patients with chronic wounds in order to evaluate the impact of the pandemic on wound care. Sixty-three patients returned the survey. In 14%, diagnostic workup or hospitalisation was cancelled or postponed. Thirty-six percent could not seek consultation by their primary care physician as usual. The use of public transport or long travel time was not related to limited access to medical service (P = .583). In ambulatory care, there was neither a significant difference in the frequency of changing wound dressings (P = .67), nor in the person, who performed wound care (P = .39). There were no significant changes in wound-specific quality of life (P = .505). No patient used telemedicine in order to avoid face-to-face contact or anticipate to pandemic-related restrictions. The COVID-19 pandemic impaired access to clinical management of chronic wounds in Germany. It had no significant impact on ambulatory care or wound-related quality of life. Telemedicine still plays a negligible role in wound care.