Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on outpatient appointments of rheumatic patients in a low- and medium-risk area of China

Background: We aimed to determine the impact of different strategies of outpatient appointments of rheumatic patients in a low- and medium-risk area of China against the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Three hospitals in Shandong Province were investigated to compare the number of outpatient appointments of rheumatic patients before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Results The number of outpatient appointments of rheumatic patients in 2020 decreased significantly under strict restrictive COVID-19 prevention measures compared to prior to the pandemic. The impact on Western medicine hospitals was greater than that on a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) hospital. After COVID-19, first-level public health emergency responses were degraded, and the number of outpatient appointments increased rapidly, exceeding the numbers in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion In the early stage of the pandemic, severe restrictive policies were effective measures in limiting the spread of COVID-19, but outpatient appointments in the three hospitals were significantly affected. The impacts on these three hospitals were different, with the designated Western medicine hospital for COVID-19 treatment suffering the greatest impact.