Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought major changes to the model of patient care in Rheumatology. Our aim was to compare the change in the care delivered in a rheumatology nursing consultation before and during the pandemic.
Material and methods: Descriptive and observational study. Patient care was registered before and during the COVID-19 outbreak. The variables collected were age, sex, prevalent rheumatic disease, type of visit and reason for consultation.
Results: 254 consecutive patients were included before the COVID-19 pandemic for 20 days and 251 patients during COVID-19 for 10 working days. The mean age was 61 years before and 57 during the pandemic. Of both groups, 74% were women. The most frequently attended pathologies before and during COVID-19 were rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthropathies. Scheduled face-to-face visits decreased during COVID-19 (46.5% versus 1.6%), with an increased number of phone scheduled visits (2.8% versus 52.2%) and spontaneous consultations either by phone or e-mail (28.3% versus 45%). The type of scheduled visits during COVID-19 were for stable diseases (20% versus 37%) and monitoring (12% versus 38%). The reason for spontaneous consultation increased during COVID-19 and were mainly doubts regarding prevention measures and treatment optimization (13.8% versus 31.1%).
Conclusions: The first wave of COVID-19 brought to rheumatology nursing consultation a global increase in all activities in the number of visits per day, in the number of stable patient controls, in monitoring and answering patient concerns.
Objetivo: Comparar el cambio en la actividad asistencial realizada en una consulta de enfermería reumatológica antes y durante la pandemia.
Material y métodos: Estudio descriptivo y observacional de 254 pacientes consecutivos antes y 251 durante.
Resultados: El tipo de visita programada presencial disminuyó durante COVID-19 (46,5% vs 1,6%), aumentando la visita programada telefónica (2,8% vs 52,2%) y las consultas espontáneas a través del teléfono o email (28,3% vs 45%). Las funciones realizadas en las programadas fueron el control del paciente estable (20% vs 37%) y la gestión (12% vs 38%). El motivo de consulta espontánea incrementó durante la COVID-19 sobre todo: dudas respecto a medidas de prevención y optimización de tratamiento (13,8% vs 31,1%).
Conclusiones: La primera ola de la COVID-19 generó en la consulta de enfermería un incremento global de todas las actividades: número de visitas/día, en el número de controles de pacientes estables, en gestión y en la resolución de dudas.
Keywords: Actividad; Activity; COVID-19; Enfermería reumatología; Impact; Impacto; Outbreak; Pandemia; Rheumatology nursing.
Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U.