44 Examining the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Participants in a Longitudinal Study of Burn Outcomes

ABSTRACT

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has had widespread effects on healthcare and society at large. There are limited data on the impact of the pandemic on the long-term recovery of the burn survivor. This study aims to compare physical and psychosocial outcomes of the burn survivor population before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Data from the Burn Model System National Database (2015-present) were analyzed. Data were divided into pre- and during-pandemic groups (before and after March 1st, 2020). Outcomes were compared at four cross-sectional time points 6, 12, 24, and 60 months after burn injury. The following patient reported outcome measures were examined SF-12 Health Survey, PROMIS-29, Post-Traumatic Growth Indicator, Community Integration Questionnaire, Patient Civilian Checklist, Satisfaction with Life Scale, Burn Specific Health Scale, NeuroQOL Stigma, 4-D Itch, and CAGE Questionnaire (drug/alcohol misuse). Given the cross-sectional design, potential differences in clinical and demographic characteristics were examined for each group at each time point. Adjusted mean outcome scores at each time point were compared between groups using a two stage multi-variable regression model with propensity score matching. For each time point, subjects from each group were matched. The propensity score was calculated using the following matching variables gender, age, race, ethnicity, etiology, length of stay, and burn size. The mean score difference of outcomes within each matched sample was examined. Results Sample sizes varied by time point with a range from 420 at 6 months to 94 at 60 months. The during-COVID group comprised 10% of the total sample size. There were no significant differences in demographic and clinical characteristics between the groups at any time point. There were no significant differences between the groups in adjusted mean outcome scores across the different time points. Conclusions This preliminary examination showed no differences in myriad long-term outcomes at multiple time points after injury among burn survivors before and during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results may suggest an element of resilience, however given the sample size and cross-sectional limitations further investigation is required to better understand the impact of COVID-19 on the burn population.