Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cytology practice: An international survey in the Asia-Pacific region.
Asia
COVID-19
/ epidemiology
Communicable Disease Control
/ instrumentation
Health Workforce
/ organization & administration
Humans
Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional
/ prevention & control
Laboratories, Hospital
/ organization & administration
Pacific States
Pandemics
/ prevention & control
Pathology, Clinical
/ organization & administration
Personal Protective Equipment
/ standards
SARS-CoV-2
/ pathogenicity
Surveys and Questionnaires
/ statistics & numerical data
Workload
/ statistics & numerical data
biosafety
coronavirus
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
cytology
laboratories
pathology
Journal
Cancer cytopathology
ISSN: 1934-6638
Titre abrégé: Cancer Cytopathol
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 101499453
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
Dec 2020
Dec 2020
Historique:
received:
16
07
2020
revised:
07
08
2020
accepted:
19
08
2020
pubmed:
16
9
2020
medline:
15
12
2020
entrez:
15
9
2020
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
The purpose of the current study was to examine the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on various aspects of cytology practice in the Asia-Pacific region. An online questionnaire was distributed to cytopathology laboratories in 24 Asia-Pacific countries to explore the impact of restrictive measures on access to health care, use of general and personal protective equipment (PPE), and changes in cytology workflow and workload from February to April 2020. A total of 167 cytopathology laboratories from 24 countries responded to the survey; the majority reported that restrictive measures that limited the accessibility of health care services had been implemented in their cities and/or countries (80.8%) and their hospitals (83.8%). The respondents noted that COVID-19 had an impact on the cytologic workflow as well as the workload. Approximately one-half of the participants reported the implementation of new biosafety protocols (54.5%) as well as improvements in laboratory facilities (47.3%). Rearrangement or redeployment of the workforce was reported in 53.3% and 34.1% of laboratories, respectively. The majority of the respondents reported a significant reduction (>10%) in caseload associated with both gynecological (82.0%) and nongynecological specimens (78.4%). Most laboratories reported no significant change in the malignancy rates of both gynecological (67.7%) and nongynecological specimens (58.7%) compared with the same period in 2019. The results of the survey demonstrated that the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a significant reduction in the number of cytology specimens examined along with the need to implement new biosafety protocols. These findings underscore the need for the worldwide standardization of biosafety protocols and cytology practice.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
The purpose of the current study was to examine the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on various aspects of cytology practice in the Asia-Pacific region.
METHODS
METHODS
An online questionnaire was distributed to cytopathology laboratories in 24 Asia-Pacific countries to explore the impact of restrictive measures on access to health care, use of general and personal protective equipment (PPE), and changes in cytology workflow and workload from February to April 2020.
RESULTS
RESULTS
A total of 167 cytopathology laboratories from 24 countries responded to the survey; the majority reported that restrictive measures that limited the accessibility of health care services had been implemented in their cities and/or countries (80.8%) and their hospitals (83.8%). The respondents noted that COVID-19 had an impact on the cytologic workflow as well as the workload. Approximately one-half of the participants reported the implementation of new biosafety protocols (54.5%) as well as improvements in laboratory facilities (47.3%). Rearrangement or redeployment of the workforce was reported in 53.3% and 34.1% of laboratories, respectively. The majority of the respondents reported a significant reduction (>10%) in caseload associated with both gynecological (82.0%) and nongynecological specimens (78.4%). Most laboratories reported no significant change in the malignancy rates of both gynecological (67.7%) and nongynecological specimens (58.7%) compared with the same period in 2019.
CONCLUSIONS
CONCLUSIONS
The results of the survey demonstrated that the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a significant reduction in the number of cytology specimens examined along with the need to implement new biosafety protocols. These findings underscore the need for the worldwide standardization of biosafety protocols and cytology practice.
Types de publication
Journal Article
Multicenter Study
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
895-904Commentaires et corrections
Type : CommentIn
Informations de copyright
© 2020 American Cancer Society.
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