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Research Article
Nelly Ziade
Saint-Joseph University, Beirut
Corresponding Author
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
Declarations:
Declarations
- This study involved human subjects.
- The author confirmed that all appropriate ethical guidelines for the use of human subjects have been followed, any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee review has been obtained, and information about the IRB/ethics committee is included in the manuscript.
- The author has confirmed that all necessary patient/participant consent or assent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived. If the IRB/ethics committee waived the requirement for patient/participant consent or assent, an explanation for the waiver is included in the text.
- The author has confirmed that a statement listing potential conflicts of interest or lack thereof is included in the text.
Aim. To evaluate the impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic (COVID-19) on the access to rheumatology care for patients with chronic rheumatic diseases (CRD) in the Arab countries.
Method. A web-based cross-sectional survey was designed by the Arab Adult Arthritis Awareness group (AAAA) consisting of 16 rheumatologists representing countries from the Arab League of Associations for Rheumatology (ArLAR), and was validated by the ArLAR scientific committee. The survey was disseminated through social media and patients' associations' channels between May 8 and May 22, 2020. The steering committee developed recommendations to improve the care of patients with CRD during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Results. A total of 2163 patients were included in the analysis; 72% were females; mean age was 40 years (SD 11.9). The Levant, the Gulf, and North Africa contributed almost equally to the sample. The pandemic had a significant negative impact on rheumatology visits in 82% of cases, on access to hydroxychloroquine (47%), and on chronic medication persistency (28%). The negative impact on rheumatology visits was associated with female gender, country, medication non-persistency, isolation due to COVID-19, and impact on mental health. Sixty-one patients (2.8%) stated that they had COVID-19, 5% said that a close contact was infected, and 47% were in isolation because of COVID-19.
Conclusion. The current study highlights the deleterious consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on the continuity of rheumatology care. Therefore, an action plan, including establishing a telemedicine platform, securing drug availability, and promoting medication persistence through the appropriate communication channels, is strongly recommended.
Keywords
Access to care, Adherence, Persistency, COVID-19
Figure 1
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- HANDLINGSupplementaryData.pdf
Supplementary data – Survey
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This is a preprint. It has not completed peer review.
Research Article
Nelly Ziade
Saint-Joseph University, Beirut
Corresponding Author
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
History
CURRENT STATUS: Posted
Version 1
Posted 10 Jul, 2020
No community comments so far
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
Subject Areas
Rheumatology
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
Declarations:
Declarations
- This study involved human subjects.
- The author confirmed that all appropriate ethical guidelines for the use of human subjects have been followed, any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee review has been obtained, and information about the IRB/ethics committee is included in the manuscript.
- The author has confirmed that all necessary patient/participant consent or assent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived. If the IRB/ethics committee waived the requirement for patient/participant consent or assent, an explanation for the waiver is included in the text.
- The author has confirmed that a statement listing potential conflicts of interest or lack thereof is included in the text.
Aim. To evaluate the impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic (COVID-19) on the access to rheumatology care for patients with chronic rheumatic diseases (CRD) in the Arab countries.
Method. A web-based cross-sectional survey was designed by the Arab Adult Arthritis Awareness group (AAAA) consisting of 16 rheumatologists representing countries from the Arab League of Associations for Rheumatology (ArLAR), and was validated by the ArLAR scientific committee. The survey was disseminated through social media and patients' associations' channels between May 8 and May 22, 2020. The steering committee developed recommendations to improve the care of patients with CRD during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Results. A total of 2163 patients were included in the analysis; 72% were females; mean age was 40 years (SD 11.9). The Levant, the Gulf, and North Africa contributed almost equally to the sample. The pandemic had a significant negative impact on rheumatology visits in 82% of cases, on access to hydroxychloroquine (47%), and on chronic medication persistency (28%). The negative impact on rheumatology visits was associated with female gender, country, medication non-persistency, isolation due to COVID-19, and impact on mental health. Sixty-one patients (2.8%) stated that they had COVID-19, 5% said that a close contact was infected, and 47% were in isolation because of COVID-19.
Conclusion. The current study highlights the deleterious consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on the continuity of rheumatology care. Therefore, an action plan, including establishing a telemedicine platform, securing drug availability, and promoting medication persistence through the appropriate communication channels, is strongly recommended.
Figure 1
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