Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on hand surgery outpatient clinic application trends and patient attitude towards surgical procedures

Abstract

Objective: We aimed to analyze the resulting effects of COVID-19 pandemic on hand surgery outpatient clinic application trends, and to highlight the patients’ attitude towards surgical procedures. Methods: Data of patients who applied to outpatient clinic between March 13,2020 and June 1,2020 were collected. The control group consisted of patients who applied during the same period in 2019. Information regarding the patient demo- graphics, outpatient clinic attendances, main complaints, and diagnoses were obtained. Elective surgery recommended patients were called when elective operations resumed. Among these patients, those who refused to undergo surgery and their concerns for not agreeing were collected. Results: Between 2019 and 2020 there is a %56 decrease in our hospital hand surgery outpatient clinics applications. It is observed that patients’ mean age decreased significantly during COVID-19 period (p