Title
Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on rheumatology practice in Latin America
Date Issued
01 October 2021
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Fernández-Ávila D.G.
Barahona-Correa J.
Romero-Alvernia D.
Kowalski S.
Sapag A.
Cachafeiro-Vilar A.
Meléndez B.
Santiago-Pastelín C.
Palleiro D.
Arrieta D.
Reyes G.
Pons-Estel G.J.
Then-Báez J.
Cardiel M.H.
Colman N.
Chávez N.
Burgos P.I.
Montúfar R.
Sandino S.
Fuentes-Silva Y.J.
Soriano E.R.
Publisher(s)
Journal of Rheumatology
Abstract
Objective. To describe the effect of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on Latin American rheumatologists from a professional, economic, and occupational point of view. Methods. We conducted an observational cross-sectional study using an online survey sent to rheumatologists of each non–English-speaking country member of the Pan American League of Rheumatology Associations (PANLAR). A specific questionnaire was developed. Results. Our survey included 1097 rheumatologists from 19 Latin American countries. Median (IQR) age of respondents was 48 (40–59) years and 618 (56.3%) were female. Duration of practice since graduation as a rheumatologist was 17 years, and 585 (53.3%) were aged < 50 years. Most rheumatologists worked in private practice (81.8%) and almost half worked in institutional outpatient centers (55%) and inpatient care (49.9%). The median number of weekly hours (IQR) of face-to-face practice before the pandemic was 27 (15–40) hours, but was reduced to 10 (5–20) hours during the pandemic. Telehealth was used by 866 (78.9%) respondents during the pandemic. Most common methods of communication were video calls (555; 50.6%), telephone calls (499; 45.5%), and WhatsApp voice calls (423; 38.6%). A reduction in monthly wages was reported by 946 (86.2%) respondents. Consultation fees also were reduced and 88 (8%) rheumatologists stated they had lost their jobs. A reduction in patient adherence to medication was reported by nearly 50% of respondents. Eighty-one (7.4%) rheumatologists received a COVID-19 diagnosis and 7 (8.6%) of them were hospitalized. Conclusion. The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped rheumatology practice in Latin America and has had a profound effect on rheumatologists’ behaviors and clinical practice.
Start page
1616
End page
1622
Volume
48
Issue
10
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Inmunología
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85116643870
PubMed ID
Source
Journal of Rheumatology
ISSN of the container
0315162X
Sponsor(s)
This study was supported by an unrestricted grant from the Pan American League of Rheumatology Associations (PANLAR). 1D.G. Fernández-Ávila, MD, Unidad de Reumatología, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana - Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, Bogotá, Colombia; 2J. Barahona-Correa, MD, D. Romero-Alvernia, MD, Departamento de Medicina Interna, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana -Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, Colombia; 3S. Kowalski, MD, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Paraná, Brazil; 4A. Sapag, MD, Hospital Universitario Japonés, Santa Cruz, Bolivia; 5A. Cachafeiro-Vilar, MD, Pacífica Salud - Hospital Punta Pacífica, Panama City, Panama; 6B. Meléndez, MD, Hospital de la Policía Nacional N1 Quito, Quito, Ecuador; 7C. Santiago-Pastelín, MD, Instituto Hondureño de la Seguridad Social, Tegucigalpa, Honduras; 8D. Palleiro, MD, Instituto Nacional de Reumatología del Uruguay, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay; 9D. Arrieta, MD, Hospital México, San José de Costa Rica, Costa Rica; 10G. Reyes, MD, Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de la Habana, Havana, Cuba; 11G.J. Pons-Estel, MD, Centro Regional de Enfermedades Autoinmunes y Reumáticas CREAR, Rosario, Argentina; 12J. Then-Báez, MD, Hospital Metropolitano de Santiago (HOMS), Santiago, Dominican Republic; 13M.F. Ugarte-Gil, MD, Hospital Nacional Guillermo Almenara Irigoyen, EsSalud - Universidad Científica del Sur, Lima, Peru; 14M.H. Cardiel, MD, Centro de Investigación Clínica de Morelia, Morelia, Mexico; 15N. Colman, MD, Hospital de Clínicas - Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Asunción, Paraguay; 16N. Chávez, MD, Instituto Guatemalteco de Seguridad Social - Universidad San Carlos de Guatemala, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala; 17P.I. Burgos, MD, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile; 18R. Montúfar, MD, Consultorio de Especialidades del Instituto Salvadoreño del Seguro Social, San Salvador, El Salvador; 19S. Sandino, MD, Instituto Médico Ganna, Managua, Nicaragua; 20Y.J. Fuentes-Silva, MD, Centro Clínico Universitario de Oriente -Universidad de Oriente, Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela; 21E.R. Soriano, MD, Sección Reumatología, Servicio de Clinica Médica Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires - Instituto Universitario Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina. The authors declare no conflicts of interest relevant to this article. Address correspondence to Dr. D.G. Fernández-Ávila, Cra 7 No. 40-62. Piso 7, Unidad de Reumatología, Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, Bogotá, Colombia. Email: daniel.fernandez@javeriana.edu.co. Accepted for publication May 28, 2021.
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus