Healthcare and safety of patients with melanoma during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted drastic containment measures and a rearrangement of healthcare services. Several papers highlighted the reduction of melanoma diagnoses and related activities; however, limited data are available on healthcare quality and patient safety. In Italy, the Italian Melanoma Intergroup (IMI) documented the decrease in first visits, diagnoses and surgeries related to melanoma during February-April 2020.1 As a follow-up study, the IMI and the Italian Association of Melanoma Patients (AIMaMe) undertook a nationwide survey to evaluate the impact of the pandemic on healthcare quality and patient safety in melanoma management. AIMaMe members were invited to fill in an online questionnaire, and participants were divided into two groups based on when they received the indication for excision: pre-pandemic (Group 1, n = 334) and pandemic (Group 2, n = 252).