33892 Telehealth use at a specialty hidradenitis suppurativa clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

COVID-19 has increased the patient burden on medical centers, resulting in a greater reliance on the use of telehealth. As there are few hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) specialty clinics in the U.S. (33 as of 2021), the need for telehealth is even greater in the HS patient population. This study analyzed trends in telehealth usage at a specialty HS clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients with a diagnosis of HS seen by 2 providers who manage predominantly HS clinics at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) between May 2020-March 2021 were included. Correlation between the number of total telehealth visits per month and the 7-day average of confirmed cases in Massachusetts at the first or second day of every month was calculated. Limitations include being a single-site study and a small sample size. Of 541 visits between May 2020-March 2021, 354 (65.4%) were in-person visits and 187 (34.6%) were telehealth. There was a weak negative correlation between the number of telehealth visits and the number of COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts, (Pearson’s correlation coefficient r = -0.214, P = .528) which suggests a minimal relationship between the prevalence of COVID-19 and the use of telehealth. While COVID-19 may have been the impetus for the increase in telehealth use, patients and physicians continue to conduct a high number of telehealth visits despite COVID numbers. This is likely due to the decreased travel burden and the ability to address flares more urgently.