Virtual rheumatology appointments during the COVID-19 pandemic: an international survey of perspectives of patients with
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LETTERS OF BIOMEDICAL AND CLINICAL RESEARCH
Virtual rheumatology appointments during the COVID-19 pandemic: an international survey of perspectives of patients with rheumatic diseases Alyssa Howren 1,2,3 & J. Antonio Aviña-Zubieta 3,4 & Nevena Rebić 1,2,3 & Hallie Dau 1,2 & Louise Gastonguay 1,2 & Kam Shojania 3,4 & Eileen Davidson 3 & Mary A. De Vera 1,2,3 Received: 17 June 2020 / Revised: 29 July 2020 / Accepted: 8 August 2020 # International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR) 2020
Introduction The transition to virtual health care delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic has been especially important for individuals living with a rheumatic disease given their increased risk for comorbidities and susceptibility to infection [1, 2]. As health care systems and providers rapidly shift to providing virtual care, it is crucial to ensure that efforts to develop and implement virtual care are informed by the patients. We therefore aimed to explore the perspectives of individuals living with rheumatic diseases towards virtual rheumatology appointments during the COVID-19 pandemic.
through social media. Participants were eligible if they were ≥ 18 years of age, diagnosed with a rheumatic disease, and able to complete the survey in English or French. The survey included questions on demographics, type of rheumatic disease(s) and treatments, and experiences with virtual rheumatology appointments. Descriptive statistics were based on non-missing responses. Ethical approval was obtained from the University of British Columbia (H20-01164).
Results Methods We conducted an international online survey (www. unifiedcovid.com). With the support of patient partners and arthritis organizations, we recruited participants
* Mary A. De Vera [email protected] 1
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
2
Collaboration for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Vancouver, BC, Canada
3
Arthritis Research Canada, Richmond, BC, Canada
4
Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Overall, 429 individuals (median age, 41 years; 90.7% female) completed the survey between April 23, 2020, and June 9, 2020. The majority of participants were from North America and diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (57.6%) (Table 1). Ninety-four (26.4%) participants indicated that their rheumatic disease treatment changed and 48 (13.6%) indicated that they discontinued a prescribed medication during the COVID-19 pandemic. Altogether, 58.6% of participants felt supported by their rheumatology care provider(s) during the COVID-19 pandemic. In total, 154 (44.0%) participants had a virtual rheumatology appointment during the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority (n = 233, 68.5%) stated that they did not have a choice between an in-person or virtual appointment for their most recent rheumatic disease medical appointment. Most participants (73.8%) were not bothered by a lack of choice regarding appointment format and 71.2% were sa
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