Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Ambulatory and Operating Room Rhinology Practice in the US

Introduction The pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus virus has altered all facets of clinical practice in the United States. The goal of this study is to better understand the impact of COVID-19 on rhinologic ambulatory and operative practice. Methods A 27-item survey to assess these objectives was created and approved by the Division of Rhinology faculty at Rush University Medical Center in April 2020. The survey was then distributed to rhinologists in a web based format via www.surveymonkey.com from April 10 through April 23, 2020. Results A total of 277 U.S based rhinologists responded to the survey (23.04%). The most common practice types were single specialty private (44.9%) and academic (24.6%). 90.2% practice in a state under a shelter in place order. Comparing pre-COVID baseline to during-COVID, there was statistically significant reduction in the number of patients of seen daily in clinic (p