TY - JOUR
T1 - Care for children with atopic dermatitis in the Netherlands during the COVID-19 pandemic
T2 - Lessons from the first wave and implications for the future
AU - Ragamin, Aviël
AU - de Wijs, Linde E M
AU - Hijnen, Dirk-Jan
AU - Arends, Nicolette J T
AU - Schuttelaar, Marie L A
AU - Pasmans, Suzanne G M A
AU - Bronner, Madelon B
N1 - © 2021 The Authors. The Journal of Dermatology published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Dermatological Association.
PY - 2021/12
Y1 - 2021/12
N2 - The first wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had an enormous impact on health-care services, including on care provision for children with atopic dermatitis (AD). We investigated the impact of COVID-19 on the care for children with moderate to severe AD at our tertiary outpatient clinic and examined satisfaction with care. We reviewed outpatient records, comparing total number and types of consultations during the first COVID-19 wave (March until July 2020) with the corresponding months of 2019 and 2018. In addition, we conducted a questionnaire-based study investigating the impact of COVID-19 on clinical and psychological symptoms, and satisfaction with care. A total number of 913 consultations (466 individual children) were conducted during the first COVID-19 wave in 2020, while 698 (391 individual children) and 591 consultations (356 individual children) were conducted in 2019 and 2018. The proportion of remote consultations was higher (56.2%) compared to 14.0% in 2019 and 12.7% in 2018. Worsening of AD was reported by 9.7% of caretakers. Overall satisfaction with provided care was high (8.6; interquartile range [IQR] = 7.3-10.0). Caretakers receiving face-to-face consultation were significantly (p = 0.026) more satisfied (9.0; IQR = 8.0-10.0) than caretakers receiving remote consultation (7.9; IQR = 7.0-9.5). The COVID-19 pandemic had an unprecedented impact on care provision for children with AD, particularly on the number of remote consultations. Overall satisfaction with care was high. The impact of COVID-19 on disease severity remained limited. Remote consultations seem to be a useful tool that can be put into practice during the COVID-19 pandemic.
AB - The first wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had an enormous impact on health-care services, including on care provision for children with atopic dermatitis (AD). We investigated the impact of COVID-19 on the care for children with moderate to severe AD at our tertiary outpatient clinic and examined satisfaction with care. We reviewed outpatient records, comparing total number and types of consultations during the first COVID-19 wave (March until July 2020) with the corresponding months of 2019 and 2018. In addition, we conducted a questionnaire-based study investigating the impact of COVID-19 on clinical and psychological symptoms, and satisfaction with care. A total number of 913 consultations (466 individual children) were conducted during the first COVID-19 wave in 2020, while 698 (391 individual children) and 591 consultations (356 individual children) were conducted in 2019 and 2018. The proportion of remote consultations was higher (56.2%) compared to 14.0% in 2019 and 12.7% in 2018. Worsening of AD was reported by 9.7% of caretakers. Overall satisfaction with provided care was high (8.6; interquartile range [IQR] = 7.3-10.0). Caretakers receiving face-to-face consultation were significantly (p = 0.026) more satisfied (9.0; IQR = 8.0-10.0) than caretakers receiving remote consultation (7.9; IQR = 7.0-9.5). The COVID-19 pandemic had an unprecedented impact on care provision for children with AD, particularly on the number of remote consultations. Overall satisfaction with care was high. The impact of COVID-19 on disease severity remained limited. Remote consultations seem to be a useful tool that can be put into practice during the COVID-19 pandemic.
U2 - 10.1111/1346-8138.16130
DO - 10.1111/1346-8138.16130
M3 - Article
C2 - 34459024
SN - 0385-2407
VL - 48
SP - 1863
EP - 1870
JO - The Journal of dermatology
JF - The Journal of dermatology
IS - 12
ER -