Psoriasis care during the time of COVID-19: real-world data on changes in treatments and appointments from a German university hospital

Background COVID-19 poses significant challenges for care of patients with chronic inflammatory skin diseases including psoriasis. Objectives To investigate changes in treatment and/or appointments for psoriasis patients in a German university hospital due to the pandemic. Materials & Methods A postal survey was conducted between May 15 and June 15, 2020. Potential determinants of changes were analysed with descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression. Results Out of 205 respondents, 19.5% missed an appointment and 9.8% changed therapy due to the pandemic. Treatment alterations were encouraged by patients (50%) and physicians (40%), whereas cancellations of appointments mostly occurred on patients' request (70%). Several patient-related key drivers of changes, including sociodemographic, disease- and health-related characteristics were identified. Changes in treatment and appointments were associated with higher psoriasis severity scores and more frequent disease aggravations. Conclusion It is particularly crucial to tailor psoriasis care to individual needs in order to protect the physical and mental well-being of patients during the pandemic.