Evaluation of Acupuncture Consultation Activity during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic disturbed the organization of healthcare systems worldwide. All sectors were affected, including acupuncture consultations. We aimed to assess the impact of this pandemic on acupuncture consultations at Mongi Slim Hospital, La Marsa, Tunisia. We identified problems inherent in patient management during this period. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study included new patients who consulted the acupuncture department during the 1st, 3rd and 4th waves of the pandemic. We examined the variation in the number of patients during 2019, 2020 and 2021. Three samples of 25 patients each were randomly selected. A questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic data to study the patient's pathway prior to acupuncture, degree of patient satisfaction with care, and degree of application of hygiene measures. Results: There was a significant decrease of 67% and 61% in the number of patients in 2020 and 2021 respectively, compared with 2019. Patients completed an average of 8.0 ± 4.2 sessions. The patients rated their level of satisfaction with the care received, time spent waiting for an appointment, and application of hygiene measures as (mean score) 8.7 ± 1.5, 8.9 ± 1.6, and 8.3 ± 1.9 out of ten, respectively. Satisfaction with global care was positively correlated with appointment facility, reception at the registration office, reception by the acupuncturist, and application of safety precautions, and was negatively correlated with age. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected patient numbers in the acupuncture department, without affecting the quality of care. Observance of hygienic measures ensured good quality of care despite the pandemic.