P490 The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on gastroenterologists providing care to inflammatory bowel disease patients in Canada: preliminary data of a cross-sectional survey
Mikail, M.(1);Malhi, G.(1);Wilson, A.(2);Khanna, R.(3);
(1)Western University, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry - Department of Medicine, London, Canada;(2)Western University, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry - Department of Gastroenterology- Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, London, Canada;(3)Western University, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry - Department of Gastroenterology, London, Canada
Background
We aim to explore the impact of COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions on gastroenterologists providing care to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients in Canada.
Methods
We invited 28 Canadian gastroenterology societies, 14 academic centres and 101 community hospitals and private clinics to have their gastroenterologists engage in an online mixed methods survey from December 2020 - March 2021. The survey explored the impact of pandemic-related restrictions on gastroenterologists managing IBD patients and the impact on clinical decision-making, rates of consultation, investigations and endoscopies conducted before and during the pandemic.
Results
59 gastroenterologists (59.3% male) participated in our study with 40.7% having completed additional training in IBD. Respondents mean age was 43.7 years with 30.5% practising independently for a duration of less than or equal to 5 years. The majority of respondents were from Ontario (43.1%), Quebec (31%) and British Columbia (13.8%) with 62.7% practising primarily at an academic centre.
93.2% of respondents reported that their practice was affected by the pandemic. 44.6% note a reduction in the number of total consultations completed. Only 60% were able to arrange endoscopies for patients in an active IBD flare at an appropriate time interval compared to their pre-COVID practice. During the pandemic, 87.3% reported a reduction in the total endoscopies performed, with 43.8% of those individuals noting a minimum reduction of 25% of previous volumes. The following barriers attributed to the decrease in endoscopies performed during the pandemic: institutional-imposed restriction on daily allowed endoscopies (97.9%), indication for endoscopy was non-urgent (68.8%) and patient-requested cancellation due to a fear of contracting COVID-19 (87.5%).
63.6% of respondents were able to arrange outpatient laboratory investigations in less than 1-week prior to the pandemic vs. 41.8% arranging similar tests in 1-2 weeks during the pandemic. 50.9% were able to arrange diagnostic investigations in 1-2 months before the pandemic vs. 65% arranging similar tests in 3-months or more during the pandemic.
When advancing drug therapy in IBD patients before versus during the pandemic, respondents reported the following factors as playing a crucial role in clinical decision making: patient symptomatology (87% vs. 79.3%), laboratory investigations (94.8% vs. 96.6%), diagnostic imaging (89.7% vs. 81%) and endoscopy findings (89.7% vs 72.4%).
Conclusion
We illustrate that Canadian gastroenterologists have been affected by the pandemic, with decreases in endoscopy performance related to access and patient preference and less decision-making guided by endoscopy. Outpatient access to urgent investigations was reduced.