The Duties of Dermatologists During COVID-19 Pandemic in Turkey: Results of a Nationwide Survey

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has led to a reorganization of health services throughout many countries. In this study, we aimed to get an overview of the duties of the dermatologists during COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey. In light of the results, we aimed to determine the aspects of Turkish dermatology practice which might require innovation. Dermatologists across Turkey were asked to fill in an online 11-item questionnaire survey, investigating their duty/duties (dermatology outpatient and inpatient clinics, pandemic outpatient and inpatient clinics, emergency, etc.) month by month during March-June 2020. A total of 217 dermatologists participated in the survey. Vast majority (91-98%) of the participants reported that they performed dermatology outpatient visits. While 41.5-56.2% of participants were redeployed to pandemic inpatient clinics, 12.9-29% were mobilized to pandemic outpatient clinics. Each month, at least 90% of the residents that participated in the questionnaire reported that they were recruited to pandemic inpatient clinics. As the impact of COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing in Turkey, these data should be taken into consideration to rapidly implement new measures in Turkish dermatology practices such as a referral system for dermatology outpatient visits to equitably distribute dermatology services, widespread use of telemedicine, and virtual educations of residents.