A Cross-Sectional Study on Factors Affecting the Decision to Conduct Dermatologic Surgery Procedures During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has greatly affected medical practices worldwide. Due to the transmissibility of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the risks and benefits of conducting non-emergent and aesthetic procedures have shifted. This study primarily aimed to investigate the different factors affecting the physician's decision to conduct dermatologic surgery procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic based on their own vaccination status. Secondly, this study also aimed to determine the level of institutional trust in the respondents' respective governments and ministries of health. METHODS: This was a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study conducted from October to December 2021. The survey was electronically distributed to members of the Cyber Conference of Aesthetic Dermatology and Skin Surgery in APAC (CyAsia) and members of dermatological societies across nine countries in Asia. The survey asks the participants' tendencies to perform procedures based on patient willingness to undergo nasal swabbing prior to the procedure, the type of procedure to be performed (cancer removal vs. filler augmentation), and the type of vaccine received by the physician (inactivated, viral vector, mRNA or protein-based). RESULTS: A total of 351 participants completed the questionnaire. Data were analyzed using a conditional logistic regression model according to the participants' country of origin, specialty, age, level of trust in the national government, and level of trust in their respective health ministries. Tendencies to conduct dermatologic procedures were highest for doctors who received mRNA vaccines and lowest among doctors who received inactivated vaccines. Willingness of the patients to undergo pre-procedure nasal swabbing was also a significant factor in deciding to treat, whereas the type of procedure performed was a non-significant factor. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the important factors that influence the decision to conduct dermatologic procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic.