![]() ![]() Yet when endoscopies resumed and patients were asked to reschedule procedures, colleagues across the city reported that patients were reticent. Our hospital suspended elective non-urgent procedures six days later with resumption of elective endoscopy under specific constraints tied to bed availability and resource utilization on April 24, 2020. In the Houston area, the first case of community spread was reported March 12, 2020. Significant reductions in procedure volumes, often > 60%, were reported in both hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) in the United States, Europe, Egypt, and Japan. Most endoscopy centers instituted tier-based recommendations for scheduling endoscopy, tested for COVID-19 pre-procedure, screened arriving patients for body temperature and symptoms, created strict visitor policies, minimized waiting in public areas, and augmented ventilation and cleaning protocols. Accordingly, nonessential surgeries and procedures were deferred, and endoscopy suites undertook substantive measures to maximize health care worker and patient safety, guided by national and international GI society position statements and recommendations. When the World Health Organization declared coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) a pandemic in March 2020, the global health community focused on preserving hospital resources and limiting viral exposure to prevent spread. Pre-pandemic barriers to endoscopy persisted as dominant factors amid pandemic concerns. Safety protocols and urgency levels were not associated with procedure completion. Multivariate analysis demonstrated age, education and COVID knowledgeability were associated with procedure completion. Attitudes towards safety protocols did not affect scheduling. Diabetes mellitus ( p = .004) and an immunocompromised state ( p = .009) were adversely related to attendance. Age ( p = .022), native language ( p = .04), education ( p = .007), self-reported COVID knowledge ( p = .002), and a desire to be COVID tested pre-procedure ( p = .023) were associated with arrival, more commonly in an ambulatory surgical center than hospital ( p = .008). Respondents identified appointment convenience (48.53%) as the most frequent factor impacting scheduling, also noting concern for results (28.4%). Of 1039 procedures scheduled, emergent cases accounted for 5.1%, urgent 55.3% and elective 39.4%. ![]() Most reported moderate to excellent COVID-19 knowledge (96.6%). MethodsĪ survey was administered to patients with ordered procedures at a hospital-based setting (–) collecting demographic data, body mass index, COVID-19 relevant comorbidities, level of procedural urgency (defined by recommended scheduling window), scheduling and attendance, concerns, and awareness of safety measures. This study assessed patient attitudes and barriers to scheduling endoscopy during the pandemic. After COVID-19 restrictions on nonessential procedures were lifted and safety protocols established, utilization rates of endoscopic procedures remained reduced. ![]()
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