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.