ABSTRACT
Background: The World Health Organization recommends healthcare providers wear personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent COVID-19 infection. There are no universally accepted recommendations for PPE usage by healthcare providers when caring for asymptomatic patients who can transmit infection. Objective: To survey PPE usage across medical dermatology practices and assess provider concern for COVID-19 transmission in the workplace. Methods: An anonymous survey was distributed via e-mail to dermatologists with membership in the Society for Dermatology Hospitalists and the Association of Professors in Dermatology. Questions pertained to use and perception of PPE in outpatient encounters. The survey remained open for 6 weeks and reached a predetermined target response number of 50-100 dermatologists among 429 recipients. Results: 88 dermatologists completed the survey (20.5%) and the majority practice in an outpatient clinic (80.7%). When caring for patients, most practices officially recommended utilizing a surgical mask (95.5%) and face shield (52.3%). Though a minority of practices recommended an N95 respirator (9.1%) or gloves (29.5%), a larger fraction of dermatologists self-reported using an N95 respirator (26.1%) and/or gloves (43.2%). 35.2% of dermatologists supplemented practice-provided PPE by providing personally obtained PPE, and 18.2% of dermatologists felt their institution did not adequately address their perceived risk of contracting COVID-19. 42.0% of physicians perceived their risk of contracting COVID-19 at work to be moderate or high. Conclusion: An appreciable fraction of dermatologists perceived their COVID-19 infection risk to be medium or high, and some dermatologists are taking supplemental safety measures. This study calls attention to the level of provider-perceived risk and highlights opportunities to address provider concerns regarding COVID-19 transmission.