221 Impact of the COVID-19 surge on phototherapy in Taiwan: Experience from a university hospital

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to widespread changes in medical practice. This study evaluated the impact COVID-19 on phototherapy in a university hospital before and after the first surge. The study encompassed the time 5 months prior to and after the first surge of the COVID-19 pandemic spanning from May to July, 2021, in Taiwan, that resulted in the temporary closure of phototherapeutic unit. A total of 981 individual patients received phototherapy during the study period. More specifically, vitiligo, psoriasis (Ps) represented the groups with the highest patient numbers. The number of patients (n=413) receiving phototherapy 5 months after the re-opening phototherapeutic unit reached similar level as compared to the number (n∼400) before the temporary closure due to surge of COVID-19 infections. For vitiligo and Ps, 39.6% and 41.9% of the patients resumed phototherapy after the pandemic-associated temporary closure of the phototherapeutic unit, respectively. A closer look into the patient profiles revealed no significant difference in age, gender, and number of sessions received per week between the patients who resumed or stopped phototherapy after the temporary closure in different patient groups. Comparison of profiles between patients who resumed phototherapy after the closure and who initiated phototherapy after the closure revealed that patients who initiated phototherapy after the temporary closure received more sessions of phototherapy per week as compared to those who resumed phototherapy. This study reveals a significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients undergoing phototherapy. Although the number of patients visiting phototherapeutic units may be similar before and after the temporary closure due to the pandemic, only about 40% of patients will resume phototherapy. New strategies and continuous education are needed to improve patient management in times of pandemic.