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Jug B, Sedlar Kobe N, Stojinic D, Lainscak M, Farkas J. Cardiac rehabilitation patient perspectives during COVID-19 pandemic: quantitative and qualitative study. Front Cardiovasc Med 2024; 11:1373684. [PMID: 39139755 PMCID: PMC11319166 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2024.1373684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Background This study aimed to quantitatively assess stress, anxiety and obsessive thinking related to coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) and qualitatively appraise perceptions in patients after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) undergoing cardiac rehabilitation (CR) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We used mixed-methods design in patients referred for CR in 2 centres which delivered uninterrupted service during COVID-19 pandemic. Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS), Obsession with COVID-19 Scale (OCS), COVID-19 Stress Scale (CSS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and in-person interviews (combination of a priori questions and probing) were used to evaluate patient experience and perceptions with COVID-19 and the healthcare services during pandemic. Results In total, 109 patients (mean age 59 ± 10, 20% women) were included in quantitative part and in 30 of them we conducted the in-person interviews. About a quarter of patients met HADS threshold for anxiety and depression while CAS and OCS results demonstrated extremely low possibility of coronavirus related dysfunctional thinking (3%) and anxiety (2%). The CSS indicated the most prevalent concerns were related to COVID-19 vaccines safety (60%) and fear of getting infected (60%). During interviews, patients perceived the CR as well as health care providers as safe, trustworthy and with enough support to avoid or manage COVID-19 related health risks. Conclusions Overall, patients reported AMI affected their lives more than the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 related stress and anxiety were relatively low and mostly related to general views of infectious disease. CR was perceived safe and trustworthy in terms of primary disease and COVID-19. Lay summary This mixed-method study included 109 patients with acute myocardial infarction who underwent cardiac rehabilitation during the COVID-19 and focused on their experience and perceptions with COVID-19 and the healthcare services during pandemic.-Patients reported acute myocardial infarction affected their lives more than the COVID-19 pandemic.-The COVID-19 related concerns were mostly related to general views of infectious disease (vaccine safety, fear of getting infected) whilst cardiac rehabilitation was perceived safe and trustworthy environment during COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Borut Jug
- University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | | | | | - Mitja Lainscak
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- General Hospital Murska Sobota, Murska Sobota, Slovenia
| | - Jerneja Farkas
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- General Hospital Murska Sobota, Murska Sobota, Slovenia
- National Institute of Public Health, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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2
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Rezaei S, Ghiasvand H, Brown H. Time series analysis of COVID-19's impact on physician and dentist visits in Iran. Sci Rep 2024; 14:16453. [PMID: 39013932 PMCID: PMC11252254 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-67238-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on general practitioner (GP), specialist, and dentist visits among 40 million Iranians covered by the Social Security Organization (SSO). A monthly interrupted time series analysis was conducted over a period of 72 months, including-47 months before the pandemic and 25 months after its onset. The outcomes variables were monthly number of GP, specialist, and dentist visits per 1000 SSO-insured individuals. The analysis was performed by total visits, visits to the SSO direct sector, and visits to the indirect sectors. The study found that in the first month of the pandemic, the number of visits per 1000 insured individuals significantly decreased for visits to GPs (by 51.12, 95% CI -64.42 to -37.88), visits to specialists (by 39.11, 95% CI -51.61 to -26.62), and visits to dentists (by 6.67, 95% CI -8.55 to -4.78). However, during the subsequent months of the pandemic, there was a significant increase in the number of monthly visits for all three categories, with GPs experiencing the highest increase (1.78 visits per 1000 insured), followed by specialists (1.32 visits per 1000 insured), and dentists (0.05 visits per 1000 insured). Furthermore, prior to the pandemic, the number of monthly GP visits per 1000 insured individuals was statistically significantly lower in the indirect sector compared to the direct sector (45.79, 95% CI -52.69 to -38.89). Conversely, the direct sector exhibited lower rates of specialist visits (25.84 visits per 1000 insured individuals, 95% CI 22.87 to 28.82) and dentist visits (0.75 visits per 1000 insured individuals, 95% CI 0.12 to 1.36) compared to the indirect sector. Additionally, the study found that in the first month of the pandemic, the monthly number of GP visits in the indirect sector significantly increased by 34.44 times (95% CI 24.81 to 44.08) compared to the direct sector. For specialist visits and dentist visits, the increase was 3.41 (95% CI -5.87 to 12.69) and 5.01 (95% CI 3.48 to 6.53) per 1000 insured individuals, respectively. Overall, the findings of this study demonstrate statistically significant disruptions in GP, specialist, and dentist visits during the COVID-19 pandemic, although some recovery was observed. Both the direct and indirect sectors experienced decreased visits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satar Rezaei
- Research Center for Environmental Determinants of Health, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
| | - Hesam Ghiasvand
- Research Centre for Healthcare & Communities, Research Institute for Health & Wellbeing, Coventry University, Coventry, UK
| | - Heather Brown
- Division of Health Research, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
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Wang Z, Zhou Z, Liu G, Lu J, Zhai X, Fan X, Lai S, Wang Y. Restricted health service utilization and subsequent positive self-care behavior during the early COVID-19 pandemic in China. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1398271. [PMID: 39045166 PMCID: PMC11263186 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1398271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The reallocation of health resources, epidemic prevention and control measures during the COVID-19 pandemic triggered widespread restricted health service utilization, some residents and patients tried positive self-care behavior to maintain their health, yet the efficacy of this intervention remains unclear. Object Based on the reasoned action approach (RAA) theory, this study aimed to investigate the correlation between self-care behavior and restricted health service utilization among adults in China, trying to discover the vulnerable groups and external and intrinsic factors that affect self-care behavior among Chinese adults. Methods Data on demographics, socioeconomic, health status, and self-care behavior were collected in "The Early China COVID-19 Survey," a cross-sectional anonymous online survey of the general population in China. Self-care behavior was measured by four indicators: weight control (WC), physical activity (PA), prevention behavior (PB), and online medical consultation (OMC). The multiple linear models and binary logistic regression were used to examine whether restricted health service utilization (RHSU) is associated with self-care behaviors; also, adjusted multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze subgroup heterogeneity. Results In total, 8,428 adult participants completed the survey, the mean OMC score was 1.51 (SD 1.34), the mean PB score was 18.17 (SD 3.44), and the proportion of participants who engaged in WC and PA was 42.30 and 62.57%, respectively. According to the multiple regression model, the RHSU was significantly positively correlated with all four indicators of self-care (WC: OR = 1.34, p < 0.001, PA: OR = 1.34, p < 0.05, MC: OR = 1.30, p < 0.001, PB: coef = 0.16, p < 0.05). We also observed some significant differences in the intensity of this relationship by subgroup analysis, precisely, OMC (high vs. moderate vs. low infection-risk level: OR = 1.48; 1.41; 1.19, p < 0.1), PA (male vs. female: OR = 1.27;1.06; p < 0.05, high vs. Moderate and low infection-risk level: OR = 1.51; 1.17; 1.02, p < 0.05), PB (Chronic disease groups vs. no: coef = 0.46; 0.1, p < 0.05). Conclusion Restricted health service utilization predicts more positive self-care behavior, and the intensity of partial correlation was significantly different in the subgroups of sex, actual infection risk level of the living area, and chronic diseases. These findings highlight the urgent demand for self-care behavior among Chinese adults during the pandemic and provide new insights for developing self-care and reducing the burden on the healthcare system in the long term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhichao Wang
- School of Public Policy and Administration, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Zhongliang Zhou
- School of Public Policy and Administration, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Guanping Liu
- School of Public Policy and Administration, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Jiao Lu
- School of Public Policy and Administration, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Xiaohui Zhai
- School of Public Health, Health Science Center, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Xiaojing Fan
- School of Public Policy and Administration, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Sha Lai
- School of Public Policy and Administration, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Youfa Wang
- School of Public Health, Global Health Institute, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi’an, China
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Uğur ZB, Durak A. The Impact of COVID-19 on Healthcare Utilization in Turkey. Value Health Reg Issues 2024; 43:101000. [PMID: 38754257 DOI: 10.1016/j.vhri.2024.101000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare utilization in Turkey. METHODS We utilized individual-level data derived from Turkish Statistical Institute's annual surveys between 2014 and 2022 and estimated probit regression models. RESULTS We find that COVID-19 pandemic reduced healthcare utilization by 11.8% after taking into account a large set of background variables. Although our study finds that the elderly and those with health problems are more likely to use healthcare services under normal circumstances, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused notable drops in the healthcare utilization among the elderly (-6.5%) and those with health problems (-3.8%). Although those without health insurance had lower utilization of healthcare services before the pandemic, during the pandemic they were not particularly hit. CONCLUSION We conclude that the pandemic did not lower the healthcare utilization in Turkey because of the supply constraints. Also, the evidence points to the reduced demand due to the fear of contagion rather than financial concerns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeynep B Uğur
- Department of Economics/Associate Professor, Social Sciences University of Ankara, Ankara, Turkey.
| | - Ayşenur Durak
- Department of Economics/Research Assistant, Abdullah Gül University, Kayseri, Turkey
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5
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Damrongplasit K, Melnick G. Utilisation, out-of-pocket payments and access before and after COVID-19: Thailand's Universal Health Coverage Scheme. BMJ Glob Health 2024; 9:e015179. [PMID: 38740495 PMCID: PMC11097804 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2024-015179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The goal of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is that everyone needing healthcare can access quality services without financial hardship. Recent research covering countries with UHC systems documents the emergence, and acceleration following the COVID-19 pandemic of unapproved informal payment systems by providers that collect under-the-table payments from patients. In 2001, Thailand extended its '30 Baht' government-financed coverage to all uninsured people with little or no cost sharing. In this paper, we update the literature on the performance of Thailand's Universal Health Coverage Scheme (UCS) with data covering 2019 (pre-COVID-19) through 2021. We find that access to care for Thailand's UCS-covered population (53 million) is similar to access provided to populations covered by the other major public health insurance schemes covering government and private sector workers, and that, unlike reports from other UHC countries, no evidence that informal side payments have emerged, even in the face of COVID-19 related pressures. However, we do find that nearly one out of eight Thailand's UCS-covered patients seek care outside the UCS delivery system where they will incur out-of-pocket payments. This finding predates the COVID-19 pandemic and suggests the need for further research into the performance of the UHC-sponsored delivery system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kannika Damrongplasit
- Faculty of Economics and Center of Excellence for Health Economics, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Glenn Melnick
- Sol Price School of Public Policy and Center for Health Financing, Policy and Management, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
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Rusk SA, DiBari J, Mason DM, Li M, Hong X, Wang G, Pearson C, Mirolli G, Cheng TL, Kogan MD, Zuckerman B, Wang X. The impact of COVID-19 on psychiatric clinical encounters among low-income racially-diverse children. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2024; 65:631-643. [PMID: 37088737 PMCID: PMC10590822 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a lack of longitudinal data to examine the impact of COVID-19 on all types of clinical encounters among United States, underrepresented BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color), children. This study aims to examine the changes in all the outpatient clinical encounters during the pandemic compared to the baseline, with particular attention to psychiatric encounters and diagnoses. METHOD This study analyzed 3-year (January 2019 to December 2021) longitudinal clinical encounter data from 3,394 children in the Boston Birth Cohort, a US urban, predominantly low-income, Black and Hispanic children. Outcomes of interest were completed outpatient clinical encounters and their modalities (telemedicine vs. in person), including psychiatric care and diagnoses, primary care, emergency department (ED), and developmental and behavioral pediatrics (DBP). RESULTS The study children's mean (SD) age is 13.9 (4.0) years. Compared to 2019, psychiatric encounters increased by 38% in 2020, most notably for diagnoses of adjustment disorders, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD). In contrast, primary care encounters decreased by 33%, ED encounters decreased by 55%, and DBP care decreased by 16% in 2020. Telemedicine was utilized the most for psychiatric and DBP encounters and the least for primary care encounters in 2020. A remarkable change in 2021 was the return of primary care encounters to the 2019 level, but psychiatric encounters fluctuated with spikes in COVID-19 case numbers. CONCLUSIONS Among this sample of US BIPOC children, compared to the 2019 baseline, psychiatric encounters increased by 38% during 2020, most notably for the new diagnoses of adjustment disorder, depression, and PTSD. The 2021 data showed a full recovery of primary care encounters to the baseline level but psychiatric encounters remained sensitive to the pandemic spikes. The long-term impact of the pandemic on children's mental health warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena A. Rusk
- Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
| | - Jessica DiBari
- Office of Epidemiology and Research, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
| | - Dana M. Mason
- Office of Epidemiology and Research, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
| | - Mengmeng Li
- Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
| | - Xiumei Hong
- Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
| | - Guoying Wang
- Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
| | - Colleen Pearson
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center
| | - Gabrielle Mirolli
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center
| | - Tina L. Cheng
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and University of Cincinnati
| | - Michael D. Kogan
- Office of Epidemiology and Research, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
| | - Barry Zuckerman
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center
| | - Xiaobin Wang
- Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
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James C, Denholm R, Wood R. The cost of keeping patients waiting: retrospective treatment-control study of additional healthcare utilisation for UK patients awaiting elective treatment. BMC Health Serv Res 2024; 24:556. [PMID: 38693557 PMCID: PMC11061904 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-024-10931-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Long waiting times for elective hospital treatments are common in many countries. This study seeks to address a deficit in the literature concerning the effect of long waits on the wider consumption of healthcare resources. METHODS We carried out a retrospective treatment-control study in a healthcare system in South West England from 15 June 2021 to 15 December 2021. We compared weekly contacts with health services of patients waiting over 18 weeks for treatment ('Treatments') and people not on a waiting list ('Controls'). Controls were matched to Treatments based on age, sex, deprivation and multimorbidity. Treatments were stratified by the clinical specialty of the awaited hospital treatment, with healthcare usage assessed over various healthcare settings. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests assessed whether there was an increase in healthcare utilisation and bootstrap resampling was used to estimate the magnitude of any differences. RESULTS A total of 44,616 patients were waiting over 18 weeks (the constitutional target in England) for treatment during the study period. There was an increase (p < 0.0004) in healthcare utilisation for all specialties. Patients in the Cardiothoracic Surgery specialty had the largest increase, with 17.9 [interquartile-range: 4.3, 33.8] additional contacts with secondary care and 17.3 [-1.1, 34.1] additional prescriptions per year. CONCLUSION People waiting for treatment consume higher levels of healthcare than comparable individuals not on a waiting list. These findings are relevant for clinicians and managers in better understanding patient need and reducing harm. Results also highlight the possible 'false economy' in failing to promptly resolve long elective waits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte James
- The National Institute for Health and Care Research Bristol Biomedical Research Centre (NIHR Bristol BRC), University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust and University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
- The National Institute for Health and Care Research Applied Research Collaboration West (NIHR ARC West) at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK.
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, Bristol, UK.
- Modelling and Analytics, UK National Health Service (BNSSG ICB), Bristol, UK.
| | - Rachel Denholm
- The National Institute for Health and Care Research Bristol Biomedical Research Centre (NIHR Bristol BRC), University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust and University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, Bristol, UK
- Health Data Research UK South West, Bristol, UK
| | - Richard Wood
- Modelling and Analytics, UK National Health Service (BNSSG ICB), Bristol, UK
- Centre for Healthcare Innovation and Improvement (CHI2), School of Management, University of Bath, Bath, UK
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8
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Du Y, Baumert J, Damerow S, Rommel A, Neuhauser H, Heidemann C. Outpatient Health Service Utilization Among Adults with Diabetes, Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease During the COVID-19 Pandemic - Results of Population-Based Surveys in Germany from 2019 to 2021. J Multidiscip Healthc 2024; 17:675-687. [PMID: 38375527 PMCID: PMC10874881 DOI: 10.2147/jmdh.s445899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose Fear of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and lockdown measures may have an impact on health care utilization particularly for people with chronic diseases. We investigated changes in outpatient utilization behavior in pandemic phases among people with selected chronic diseases in Germany. Methods The nationwide population-based telephone surveys German Health Update (GEDA) 2019/2020 (April 2019 to September 2020) and GEDA 2021 (July to December 2021) covered 4 out of 7 pandemic phases from the pre-pandemic to the 4th pandemic wave. Data on hypertension, diabetes and major cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in the past 12 months and visiting a general practitioner (GP) or a specialist (excluding dentist) in the past 4 weeks was collected using a standardized questionnaire. Proportions and odds ratios were derived from logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, education and federal states. Results Among 27,967 participants aged ≥16 years, 8,449, 2,497 and 1,136 individuals had hypertension, diabetes and major CVD. Participants with these chronic diseases visited a GP or specialist significantly more often than the overall study population, irrespective of pandemic phases. Compared to the pre-pandemic phase, a significant reduction in specialist-visiting was found in the first pandemic wave among people with hypertension (34.3% vs 24.1%), diabetes (39.5% vs 25.5%) and major CVD (41.9% vs 25.6%). GP-visiting was lower only among people with hypertension (53.0% vs 46.0%). No difference in GP or specialist visiting was found in the 4th pandemic wave compared to the pre-pandemic phase. Conclusion The observed decrease particularly in specialist utilization among people with the selected chronic diseases at the beginning of the pandemic was not observed for the second half of 2021 despite the ongoing pandemic. Further studies are required to examine whether the temporary changes in the utilization of ambulatory health care have affected the disease management of people with chronic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Du
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jens Baumert
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Damerow
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexander Rommel
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hannelore Neuhauser
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Berlin, Germany
| | - Christin Heidemann
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
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9
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Razimoghadam M, Yaseri M, Rezaee M, Fazaeli A, Daroudi R. Non-COVID-19 hospitalization and mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran: a longitudinal assessment of 41 million people in 2019-2022. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:380. [PMID: 38317148 PMCID: PMC10840276 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-17819-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND During a COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative to investigate the outcomes of all non-COVID-19 diseases. This study determines hospital admissions and mortality rates related to non-COVID-19 diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic among 41 million Iranians. METHOD This nationwide retrospective study used data from the Iran Health Insurance Organization. From September 23, 2019, to Feb 19, 2022, there were four study periods: pre-pandemic (Sept 23-Feb 19, 2020), first peak (Mar 20-Apr 19, 2020), first year (Feb 20, 2020-Feb 18, 2021), and the second year (Feb 19, 2021-Feb 19, 2022) following the pandemic. Cause-specific hospital admission and in-hospital mortality are the main outcomes analyzed based on age and sex. Negative binomial regression was used to estimate the monthly adjusted Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR) to compare hospital admission rates in aggregated data. A logistic regression was used to estimate the monthly adjusted in-hospital mortality Odds Ratio (OR) for different pandemic periods. RESULTS During the study there were 6,522,114 non-COVID-19 hospital admissions and 139,679 deaths. Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, the standardized hospital admission rate per million person-month was 7115.19, which decreased to 2856.35 during the first peak (IRR 0.40, [0.25-0.64]). In-hospital mortality also increased from 20.20 to 31.99 (OR 2.05, [1.97-2.13]). All age and sex groups had decreased admission rates, except for females at productive ages. Two years after the COVID-19 outbreak, the non-COVID-19 hospital admission rate (IRR 1.25, [1.13-1.40]) and mortality rate (OR 1.05, [1.04-1.07]) increased compared to the rates before the pandemic. The respiratory disease admission rate decreased in the first (IRR 0.23, [0.17-0.31]) and second years (IRR 0.35, [0.26-0.47] compared to the rate before the pandemic. There was a significant reduction in hospitalizations for pneumonia (IRR 0.30, [0.21-0.42]), influenza (IRR 0.04, [0.03-0.06]) and COPD (IRR 0.39, [0.23-0.65]) during the second year. There was a significant and continuous rise in the hematological admission rate during the study, reaching 186.99 per million person-month in the second year, reflecting an IRR of 2.84 [2.42-3.33] compared to the pre-pandemic period. The mortality rates of mental disorders (OR 2.15, [1.65-2.78]) and musculoskeletal (OR 1.48, [1.20-1.82), nervous system (OR 1.42, [1.26-1.60]), metabolic (OR 1.99, [1.80-2.19]) and circulatory diseases (OR 1.35, [1.31-1.39]) increased in the second year compare to pre-pandemic. Myocardial infarction (OR 1.33, [1.19-1.49]), heart failure (OR 1.59, [1.35-1.87]) and stroke (OR 1.35, [1.24-1.47]) showed an increase in mortality rates without changes in hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS In the era of COVID-19, the changes seem to have had a long-term effect on non-COVID-19 diseases. Countries should prepare for similar crises in the future to ensure medical services are not suspended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahya Razimoghadam
- Department of Health Management, Policy and Economics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Yaseri
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Rezaee
- Department of Orthopedics, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- National Center for Health Insurance Research, Tehran, Iran
| | - Aliakbar Fazaeli
- Department of Health Management, Policy and Economics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Rajabali Daroudi
- Department of Health Management, Policy and Economics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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10
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Zhang X, Li Y, Zhang G, Ma C, Liu B, Yin Y. Temporal trend in hospitalizations for malignant neoplasm and benign neoplasm: a nationwide study, China, 2004-2020. BMC Cancer 2024; 24:154. [PMID: 38291411 PMCID: PMC10829338 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-024-11866-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The increasing cancer burden calls for reliably assessed changes in the hospitalizations for tumors over time and space in China. This study evaluated trends in hospitalization rate, in-hospital mortality, length of stay (LOS), and medical costs for malignant and benign neoplasms. Data were derived from China Health Statistical Yearbooks from 2004 to 2020. Temporal trends in hospitalization rates and in-hospital mortality rates were assessed through the Cochran-Armitage Test. We used the linear model with continuous variables to test for the trend. The malignant neoplasm hospitalization rate increased from 1.1‰ to 5.8‰ and the benign neoplasm increased from 1.0‰ to 2.0‰. The in-hospital mortality rate due to malignant neoplasm and benign neoplasm decreased from 5.11 to 2.87% (P for trend < 0.001) and 0.14-0.01% (P for trend < 0.001), respectively. Among all patients hospitalized with malignant neoplasm, the average cost per hospitalization significantly increased during the study period (P for trend < 0.001), adjusted for the Consumer Price Index. However, the average LOS gradually decreased (P for trend < 0.001). In line with the trend of malignant neoplasm, the average cost per hospitalization increased significantly among all patients hospitalized for benign neoplasm (P for trend < 0.001), and the average LOS showed a steady downward trend (P for trend < 0.001). We found upward trends in hospitalization rates, and medical costs in neoplasms. By contrast, substantial decreases in in-hospital mortality and LOS. The hospitalization rate gap between urban and rural areas is narrowed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinqiang Zhang
- Department of Radiophysical Technology, Shandong Cancer Hospital, No.440, Jiyan Road, Jinan City, Shandong province, 250000, China
| | - Yuanyuan Li
- Statistical Analysis Department, Clinical Research Center, Qilu Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, 8888 Lvyou Street, Jilin, 250102, China
| | - Guifang Zhang
- Department of Radiophysical Technology, Shandong Cancer Hospital, No.440, Jiyan Road, Jinan City, Shandong province, 250000, China
| | - Changsheng Ma
- Department of Radiophysical Technology, Shandong Cancer Hospital, No.440, Jiyan Road, Jinan City, Shandong province, 250000, China
| | - Bo Liu
- Department of Radiophysical Technology, Shandong Cancer Hospital, No.440, Jiyan Road, Jinan City, Shandong province, 250000, China
| | - Yong Yin
- Department of Radiophysical Technology, Shandong Cancer Hospital, No.440, Jiyan Road, Jinan City, Shandong province, 250000, China.
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Pan YH, Nomah DK, Montoro-Fernandez M, Moreno-Fornés S, Díaz Y, Aceitón J, Bruguera A, Llibre JM, Domingo P, Imaz A, Vilaró I, Falcó V, Reyes-Urueña J, Miro JM, Casabona J. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare services utilization among people living with HIV in Catalonia, Spain: A population-based cohort study. ENFERMEDADES INFECCIOSAS Y MICROBIOLOGIA CLINICA (ENGLISH ED.) 2024:S2529-993X(24)00001-7. [PMID: 38218704 DOI: 10.1016/j.eimce.2023.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted healthcare services usage. We estimated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare services utilization among people living with HIV (PLWH) in Catalonia, Spain. METHODS We accessed public healthcare usage in HIV units, primary care, hospitals, and emergency departments among 17,738 PLWH in the PISCIS cohort from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2020. We performed an interrupted time series analysis using the autoregressive integrated moving average to estimate the effect of COVID-19 on medical visits and HIV monitoring among PLWH. RESULTS A non-significant decrease of 17.1% (95% CI: [-29.4, 0.4]) in overall medical visits was observed during the lockdown, followed by a steady resumption until the end of 2020. Three health facilities presented statistically significant declines in visits during the lockdown: HIV units (-44.8% [-56.7, -23.6]), hospitals (-40.4% [-52.8, -18.1]), and emergency departments (-36.9% [-47.0, -21.9]); thereafter, the visits have begun to increase steadily but not to previous levels as of December 2020. In contrast, primary care visits remained unchanged during the lockdown by 1.9% (95% CI: -13.5, 23.9). CD4 cell (54.2% [95% CI: -64.4, -36.0]) and HIV RNA viral load (53.1% [95% CI: -62.9, -36.1]) laboratory monitoring reduced significantly during the lockdown. CONCLUSION COVID-19 lockdowns significantly disrupted in-person healthcare services usage among PLWH. The reduction in healthcare utilization however did not affect primary care services. Despite services gradually rebounding to pre-pandemic levels, it is imperative to effectively prepare for future pandemics and implement measures to ensure continuous provision of care to PLWH during pandemic lockdowns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Hua Pan
- Centre Estudis Epidemiològics sobre les Infeccions de Transmissió Sexual i Sida de Catalunya (CEEISCAT), Dept Salut, Generalitat de Catalunya, Badalona, Spain
| | - Daniel K Nomah
- Centre Estudis Epidemiològics sobre les Infeccions de Transmissió Sexual i Sida de Catalunya (CEEISCAT), Dept Salut, Generalitat de Catalunya, Badalona, Spain; Institut d'Investigació Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Marcos Montoro-Fernandez
- Centre Estudis Epidemiològics sobre les Infeccions de Transmissió Sexual i Sida de Catalunya (CEEISCAT), Dept Salut, Generalitat de Catalunya, Badalona, Spain; Institut d'Investigació Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sergio Moreno-Fornés
- Centre Estudis Epidemiològics sobre les Infeccions de Transmissió Sexual i Sida de Catalunya (CEEISCAT), Dept Salut, Generalitat de Catalunya, Badalona, Spain; Institut d'Investigació Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiologia y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Yesika Díaz
- Centre Estudis Epidemiològics sobre les Infeccions de Transmissió Sexual i Sida de Catalunya (CEEISCAT), Dept Salut, Generalitat de Catalunya, Badalona, Spain; Institut d'Investigació Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiologia y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Aceitón
- Centre Estudis Epidemiològics sobre les Infeccions de Transmissió Sexual i Sida de Catalunya (CEEISCAT), Dept Salut, Generalitat de Catalunya, Badalona, Spain; Institut d'Investigació Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Andreu Bruguera
- Centre Estudis Epidemiològics sobre les Infeccions de Transmissió Sexual i Sida de Catalunya (CEEISCAT), Dept Salut, Generalitat de Catalunya, Badalona, Spain; Institut d'Investigació Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiologia y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep M Llibre
- Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Pere Domingo
- Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Arkaitz Imaz
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
| | | | - Vicenç Falcó
- Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Hospital de Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juliana Reyes-Urueña
- Centre Estudis Epidemiològics sobre les Infeccions de Transmissió Sexual i Sida de Catalunya (CEEISCAT), Dept Salut, Generalitat de Catalunya, Badalona, Spain
| | - José M Miro
- Hospital Clínic-Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; CIBERINFEC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Jordi Casabona
- Centre Estudis Epidemiològics sobre les Infeccions de Transmissió Sexual i Sida de Catalunya (CEEISCAT), Dept Salut, Generalitat de Catalunya, Badalona, Spain; Institut d'Investigació Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiologia y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain
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12
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Gadeka DD, Aheto JMK. Healthcare utilization and associated factors during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana: A cross-sectional survey. Health Sci Rep 2024; 7:e1805. [PMID: 38213781 PMCID: PMC10781887 DOI: 10.1002/hsr2.1805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Background and Aims Understanding healthcare utilization during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is crucial to inform policy and to prepare health systems for future pandemics. We examined self-reported healthcare utilization and associated factors, including public health preventive practices, perceptions, and coping strategies among the general public in Ghana during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We adopted a cross-sectional study design using a public survey to recruit 643 respondents between May 23, and July 11, 2020 during the first wave of confirmed COVID-19 cases and after the fifth week of a partial lockdown in Ghana. Descriptive, bivariate, and binary logistic regression analyses were carried out in Stata version 15. Results Overall, there was a high level of compliance with COVID-19 public health preventive measures. In terms of perception, 357 (55.5%) of respondents stated unnecessary worry was created about the disease. In relation to coping strategies, 376 (58.5%) of respondents stayed home for more than 6 h, while 35 (5%) reported drinking alcohol to overcome the fear created by the disease. The results showed that 176 (27.4%) of the respondents utilized healthcare while 44 (9.4%) did not utilized healthcare for fear of contracting the disease at the health facility. Marital status (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.63; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.409, 0.963), religion (aOR = 2.34; 95% CI = 1.10, 4.98), and possession of valid health insurance (aOR = 1.51; 95% CI = 1.020, 2.235) were associated with healthcare utilization. Conclusion There was low healthcare utilization coupled with fear of contracting the COVID-19 disease at the health facilities among the respondents. The findings suggest the need for effective public education that ensures that future pandemics' prevention information and recommendations are easily understandable by the general public. Additionally, investment in health insurance coverage may contribute to healthcare utilization during future pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic D. Gadeka
- Department of Health Policy, Planning and ManagementUniversity of Ghana School of Public HealthLegon‐AccraGhana
| | - Justice M. K. Aheto
- Department of BiostatisticsUniversity of Ghana School of Public HealthLegon‐AccraGhana
- WorldPop, School of Geography and Environmental ScienceUniversity of SouthamptonSouthamptonUK
- College of Public HealthUniversity of South FloridaTampaFloridaUSA
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13
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King L, Alexander-Gabbadon K, Chin N, Hammond-Gabbadon C, Simmonds-Brooks P, Harris J, Martin H, Witter K, Bartlett R, Knight-Madden J, Asnani M. Telehealth: Navigating the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond: The Sickle Cell Unit Experience. Telemed J E Health 2023; 29:1781-1791. [PMID: 37092975 DOI: 10.1089/tmj.2023.0100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: To examine the use of telehealth for delivery of health care in persons with sickle cell disease in a resource-constrained country during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This study was a retrospective review of patient encounters at the Sickle Cell Unit (SCU), Jamaica during a 3-year period, March 10, 2019 to March 9, 2022 and a comparison of endpoints between 1 year before and 2 years during the pandemic. Primary endpoints of registration numbers, day-care admissions, and study visits were obtained from logbooks and the electronic medical records. Additional endpoints included well visits, hydroxyurea (HU) visits, and bone pain crisis. Results: Patients registered at the clinic on 17,295 occasions, with 7,820 in the pre-pandemic year decreasing by 43.8% and 35% in the 2 subsequent pandemic years. Overall, study visits increased by 4.9% and 1.3% in the pandemic years. They increased in adults by 13.1% and 8.9% but fell by 3.2% and 6.2% in children. Fewer people were seen in the pandemic years, with children showing a 20.7% decline in numbers. Tele-visits accounted for 31.4% of all study visits during the pandemic years and increased by 23.6% between the pandemic years. There were more well-visits and HU visits, but fewer pain visits and day-care admissions in the pandemic years. Conclusions: The SCU maintained health care delivery for a high-risk population during the pandemic, with tele-visits mitigating the short-fall from in-person visits. Tele-visits may be more acceptable to adults with a chronic illness and may be a suitable alternative for delivering health care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lesley King
- Sickle Cell Unit, Caribbean Institute for Health Research, The University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica
| | - Kesha Alexander-Gabbadon
- Sickle Cell Unit, Caribbean Institute for Health Research, The University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica
| | - Nicki Chin
- Sickle Cell Unit, Caribbean Institute for Health Research, The University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica
| | - Christine Hammond-Gabbadon
- Sickle Cell Unit, Caribbean Institute for Health Research, The University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica
| | - Patrice Simmonds-Brooks
- Sickle Cell Unit, Caribbean Institute for Health Research, The University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica
| | - June Harris
- Sickle Cell Unit, Caribbean Institute for Health Research, The University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica
| | - Hopelyn Martin
- Sickle Cell Unit, Caribbean Institute for Health Research, The University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica
| | - Krystal Witter
- Sickle Cell Unit, Caribbean Institute for Health Research, The University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica
| | - Rachel Bartlett
- Sickle Cell Unit, Caribbean Institute for Health Research, The University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica
| | - Jennifer Knight-Madden
- Sickle Cell Unit, Caribbean Institute for Health Research, The University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica
| | - Monika Asnani
- Sickle Cell Unit, Caribbean Institute for Health Research, The University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica
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14
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Conboy NE, Nickow A, Awoonor-Williams JK, Hirschhorn LR. Self-reported delays in care-seeking in West Africa during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC Health Serv Res 2023; 23:785. [PMID: 37481561 PMCID: PMC10363320 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-09812-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic caused delays in care-seeking due to fears of infection and decreased healthcare access globally. These delays have been linked in some countries to COVID-19 perceptions, decreased income, and food insecurity, but little is known about patient-level factors for decreased care-seeking specifically at the beginning of COVID-19 in West Africa. Understanding these factors is important to identify those at highest risk and address healthcare-related barriers. METHODS This study used self-reported data from telephone surveys in a population-based sample in Burkina Faso (n = 1352), Ghana (n = 1621), and Sierra Leone (n = 1301) in May-June 2020. Questions assessed delays in care-seeking, sociodemographic variables, COVID-19 beliefs, and food insecurity. Bivariate analyses using chi-square and multivariate analyses using logistic regression were used to explore associations between factors and delays in care-seeking by country. Independent variables were chosen based on prior research suggesting that financial insecurity, older age, female sex, rural location, and COVID-related concerns are associated with delays. RESULTS Between March-June 2020, 9.9%, 10.6%, and 5.7% of participants in Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Sierra Leone, respectively, delayed care-seeking. Food insecurity was prevalent (21.8-46.1%) and in bivariate analyses was associated with delays in care-seeking in Burkina Faso and Ghana. Concern about risk of household contraction of COVID-19 was common (18.1-36.0%) and in Ghana and Sierra Leone was associated with delays in care-seeking in both bivariate and multivariate analyses. In bivariate analyses, females showed more delays in Burkina Faso, while age above 30 and urban location were associated with delays in Ghana. In multivariate analyses, food insecurity was associated with increased delayed care-seeking in Burkina Faso. CONCLUSIONS Multiple factors were associated with delays in care-seeking early in the COVID-19 pandemic, with food insecurity and concerns about infection showing significant associations in multiple countries. These findings highlight the need to invest in clinic accessibility, community education, and financial assistance to address barriers in healthcare. While many delays have subsided since the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, understanding factors associated with early disruptions of care-seeking at the patient and household level will inform strategies for maintaining healthcare access during future pandemics in West Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie E Conboy
- Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, IL, Chicago, USA.
| | - Andre Nickow
- Northwestern University Global Poverty Research Lab, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - John Koku Awoonor-Williams
- Formerly of the Department of Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Ghana Health Service, Accra, Ghana
| | - Lisa R Hirschhorn
- Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, IL, Chicago, USA
- Robert J. Havey Institute of Global Health, Chicago, IL, USA
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15
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Ahmed N, Barnett P, Greenburgh A, Pemovska T, Stefanidou T, Lyons N, Ikhtabi S, Talwar S, Francis ER, Harris SM, Shah P, Machin K, Jeffreys S, Mitchell L, Lynch C, Foye U, Schlief M, Appleton R, Saunders KRK, Baldwin H, Allan SM, Sheridan-Rains L, Kharboutly O, Kular A, Goldblatt P, Stewart R, Kirkbride JB, Lloyd-Evans B, Johnson S. Mental health in Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review. Lancet Psychiatry 2023; 10:537-556. [PMID: 37321240 PMCID: PMC10259832 DOI: 10.1016/s2215-0366(23)00113-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caused immediate and far-reaching disruption to society, the economy, and health-care services. We synthesised evidence on the effect of the pandemic on mental health and mental health care in high-income European countries. We included 177 longitudinal and repeated cross-sectional studies comparing prevalence or incidence of mental health problems, mental health symptom severity in people with pre-existing mental health conditions, or mental health service use before versus during the pandemic, or between different timepoints of the pandemic. We found that epidemiological studies reported higher prevalence of some mental health problems during the pandemic compared with before it, but that in most cases this increase reduced over time. Conversely, studies of health records showed reduced incidence of new diagnoses at the start of the pandemic, which further declined during 2020. Mental health service use also declined at the onset of the pandemic but increased later in 2020 and through 2021, although rates of use did not return to pre-pandemic levels for some services. We found mixed patterns of effects of the pandemic on mental health and social outcome for adults already living with mental health conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nafiso Ahmed
- National Institute of Health and Care Research Mental Health Policy Research Unit, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Phoebe Barnett
- National Institute of Health and Care Research Mental Health Policy Research Unit, University College London, London, UK; Centre for Outcomes Research and Effectiveness, University College London, London, UK; National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health, Royal College of Psychiatrists, London, UK
| | - Anna Greenburgh
- National Institute of Health and Care Research Mental Health Policy Research Unit, University College London, London, UK
| | - Tamara Pemovska
- National Institute of Health and Care Research Mental Health Policy Research Unit, University College London, London, UK
| | - Theodora Stefanidou
- National Institute of Health and Care Research Mental Health Policy Research Unit, University College London, London, UK
| | - Natasha Lyons
- National Institute of Health and Care Research Mental Health Policy Research Unit, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sarah Ikhtabi
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Shivangi Talwar
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Emma R Francis
- Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Samantha M Harris
- Department of Health Promotion and Development, Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Prisha Shah
- Lived Experience Working Group, University College London, London, UK
| | - Karen Machin
- Lived Experience Working Group, University College London, London, UK
| | - Stephen Jeffreys
- Lived Experience Working Group, University College London, London, UK
| | - Lizzie Mitchell
- Lived Experience Working Group, University College London, London, UK
| | - Chris Lynch
- Lived Experience Working Group, University College London, London, UK
| | - Una Foye
- National Institute of Health and Care Research Mental Health Policy Research Unit, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Merle Schlief
- National Institute of Health and Care Research Mental Health Policy Research Unit, University College London, London, UK
| | - Rebecca Appleton
- National Institute of Health and Care Research Mental Health Policy Research Unit, University College London, London, UK
| | - Katherine R K Saunders
- National Institute of Health and Care Research Mental Health Policy Research Unit, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Helen Baldwin
- National Institute of Health and Care Research Mental Health Policy Research Unit, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sophie M Allan
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough National Health Service Foundation Trust, South London and Maudsley National Health Service Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Luke Sheridan-Rains
- National Institute of Health and Care Research Mental Health Policy Research Unit, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Ariana Kular
- National Institute of Health and Care Research Mental Health Policy Research Unit, University College London, London, UK
| | - Peter Goldblatt
- Institute of Health Equity, University College London, London, UK
| | - Robert Stewart
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; South London and Maudsley National Health Service Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | | | - Brynmor Lloyd-Evans
- National Institute of Health and Care Research Mental Health Policy Research Unit, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sonia Johnson
- National Institute of Health and Care Research Mental Health Policy Research Unit, University College London, London, UK; Camden and Islington National Health Service Foundation Trust, London, UK
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16
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Wolff Sagy Y, Feldhamer I, Brammli-Greenberg S, Lavie G. Estimating the economic burden of long-Covid: the additive cost of healthcare utilisation among COVID-19 recoverees in Israel. BMJ Glob Health 2023; 8:e012588. [PMID: 37463787 PMCID: PMC10357303 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2023-012588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Postacute sequelae resulting from SARS-CoV-2 infections (LONG-COVID) have been reported. The resulting added economic burden from the perspective of healthcare organisations is not clear. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the additive healthcare costs among COVID-19 recoverees, in a large community-dwelling general population, as incurred by an insurer-provider organisation over time. METHODS In this historical cohort study, cost data from Clalit Health Services (CHS) were analysed. The primary endpoint was the direct cost incurred by CHS per month per person. Costs were measured for COVID-19 recoverees and matched controls, from January 2019 to January 2022. Difference in differences (DiDs) were calculated as the difference in mean monthly costs in cases and controls in the post-COVID-19 individual period, deducing their cost difference in a prepandemic 12 months baseline period. RESULTS Among N=642 868 community-dwelling COVID-19 recoverees, 268 948 (40.8%) were 0-19 years old and 63 051 (9.6%) were 60 years or older. A total of 16 017 (2.5%) of recoverees had been hospitalised during the acute phase of the COVID-19 disease. Costs in cases and controls converged after 16 months from recovery. The mean monthly cost incurred by CHS per COVID-19 recoverees over up to 15 months (mean: 8.25) of post-COVID-19 follow-up was higher by 8.2% (US$8.2) compared with matched controls. The excess cost attributable to post-COVID-19 effects (DID) was 7.6% of the cost in controls (US$7.7 per patient per month). Both net and relative DIDs were substantially higher in patients who required hospitalisation during the acute phase of COVID-19 and in older adults. Excess in hospitalisations, primary care physicians and medical specialists' visits-related costs were observed. CONCLUSIONS Long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infections translate into excess healthcare costs, months after recovery, hence requiring adjustments of funds allocation. These excess costs gradually diminish after recoveree, returning to baseline differences 16 months after recoveree.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yael Wolff Sagy
- Branch of Planning and Strategy, Clalit Health Services, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ilan Feldhamer
- Branch of Planning and Strategy, Clalit Health Services, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Shuli Brammli-Greenberg
- Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Gil Lavie
- Branch of Planning and Strategy, Clalit Health Services, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
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Thomas A, Edwards KJ, Bradwell HL, Chatterjee A, Jones RB. E-nursing homes: transforming access to nurses in nursing homes in response to the staffing crisis. BRITISH JOURNAL OF NURSING (MARK ALLEN PUBLISHING) 2023; 32:428-432. [PMID: 37173078 DOI: 10.12968/bjon.2023.32.9.428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The UK is facing a nationwide staffing crisis within adult social care, due to difficulties in recruiting and retaining registered nurses. Current interpretation of legislation means nursing homes must always have the physical presence of a registered nurse on duty within the home. With the shortage of registered nurses increasing, reliance on agency workers is commonplace, a practice impacting service cost and continuity of care. Lack of innovation to tackle this issue means the question of how to transform service delivery to combat staffing shortages is open for debate. The potential for technology to augment the provision of care was highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this article the authors present one possible solution focused on the provision of digital nursing care within nursing homes. Anticipated benefits include enhanced accessibility of nursing roles, reduced risk of viral spread and opportunities for upskilling staff. However, challenges include the current interpretation of legislation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Thomas
- Chief Executive Officer, Cornwall Care, Truro
| | - Katie J Edwards
- Research Associate, Centre for Health Technology, University of Plymouth, Plymouth
| | - Hannah L Bradwell
- Research Fellow, Centre for Health Technology, University of Plymouth, Plymouth
| | - Arunangsu Chatterjee
- Professor of Digital Health and Education, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds
| | - Ray B Jones
- Professor of Health Informatics, Centre for Health Technology, University of Plymouth, Plymouth
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18
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Xu R, Wu L, Liu Y, Ye Y, Mu T, Xu C, Yuan H. Evaluation of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health service utilization in China: A study using auto-regressive integrated moving average model. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1114085. [PMID: 37089481 PMCID: PMC10115989 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1114085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundThe outbreak of COVID-19 in early 2020 presented a major challenge to the healthcare system in China. This study aimed to quantitatively evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on health services utilization in China in 2020.MethodsHealth service-related data for this study were extracted from the China Health Statistical Yearbook. The Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average model (ARIMA) was used to forecast the data for the year 2020 based on trends observed between 2010 and 2019. The differences between the actual 2020 values reported in the statistical yearbook and the forecast values from the ARIMA model were used to assess the impact of COVID-19 on health services utilization.ResultsIn 2020, the number of admissions and outpatient visits in China declined by 17.74 and 14.37%, respectively, compared to the ARIMA model’s forecast values. Notably, public hospitals experienced the largest decrease in outpatient visits and admissions, of 18.55 and 19.64%, respectively. Among all departments, the pediatrics department had the greatest decrease in outpatient visits (35.15%). Regarding geographical distribution, Beijing and Heilongjiang were the regions most affected by the decline in outpatient visits (29.96%) and admissions (43.20%) respectively.ConclusionThe study’s findings suggest that during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, one in seven outpatient services and one in six admissions were affected in China. Therefore, there is an urgent need to establish a green channel for seeking medical treatment without spatial and institutional barriers during epidemic prevention and control periods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rixiang Xu
- School of Humanities and Management, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lang Wu
- School of Humanities and Management, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yulian Liu
- School of Humanities and Management, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yaping Ye
- School of Humanities and Management, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Tingyu Mu
- School of Nursing, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Caiming Xu
- School of Law, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Caiming Xu, Huiling Yuan,
| | - Huiling Yuan
- School of Humanities and Management, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Caiming Xu, Huiling Yuan,
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Perozziello A, Sousa D, Aubriot B, Dauriac-Le Masson V. Use of mental health services in the aftermath of COVID-19 waves: a retrospective study conducted in a French Psychiatric and Neurosciences University Hospital. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e064305. [PMID: 36822810 PMCID: PMC9950587 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-064305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictive measures taken to prevent its propagation had profound effects on mental health and well-being, especially in children and young adults (<25 years old). This study aimed to analyse the medium and long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the use of the mental health services, by age groups and gender. DESIGN We conducted a retrospective study using the medical and administrative information system databases of patients, between 2019 and 2021. SETTING This study was conducted in the Groupe Hospitalier Universitaire Paris Psychiatry and Neurosciences. OUTCOME MEASURES We reported three indicators: the number of new patients attending outpatient clinics, the number of emergency department (ED) visits and the number of hospital admissions. METHODS We considered the weekly number of each indicator, by age groups and by gender. We also collected the reasons of ED visits and hospital admissions. The 2020 and 2021 data were compared with the same period in 2019. The evolution of the indicators over the 3 years was analysed with interrupted time-series analysis. RESULTS All three indicators showed a dramatic decrease during the first lockdown period (March 2020) especially for the youngest. In 2021, the activity resumed but without reaching its prepandemic level. Moreover, mental healthcare seeking was significantly lower since the beginning of the pandemic compared with the prepandemic period for all age groups, except for young women (<25 years old). Among them, there was a higher level of mental health services use in 2021, compared with 2019: +20% of new patients at the outpatient clinics, +39% of ED visits and+17% of hospital admissions. CONCLUSIONS The COVID-19 pandemic has had severe consequences on populations' mental health, especially among young women, which seem to persist months after the end of restrictive measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Perozziello
- Cellule épidémiologie, Groupe Hospitalier Universitaire Paris psychiatrie & neurosciences, Paris, France
| | - Daniel Sousa
- Département d'Information Médicale, Groupe Hospitalier Universitaire Paris psychiatrie & neurosciences, Paris, France
| | - Béatrice Aubriot
- DOMUS MEDICA, Groupe Hospitalier Universitaire Paris psychiatrie & neurosciences, Paris, France
| | - Valérie Dauriac-Le Masson
- Département d'Information Médicale, Groupe Hospitalier Universitaire Paris psychiatrie & neurosciences, Paris, France
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20
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Kanda N, Hashimoto H, Imai T, Yoshimoto H, Goda K, Mitsutake N, Hatakeyama S. Indirect impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence of non-COVID-19 infectious diseases: a region-wide, patient-based database study in Japan. Public Health 2023; 214:20-24. [PMID: 36436277 PMCID: PMC9595362 DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2022.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The COVID-19 pandemic has forced people to change many behaviours, including physical distancing, hygiene measures and lifestyles. This study aimed to evaluate the indirect impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence of non-COVID-19 infections and medical care costs/visits using health insurance claims. STUDY DESIGN This was an observational study using patient-based administrative claims covering approximately 800,000 insured persons and their dependents in the Mie Prefecture in Japan. METHODS This study identified non-COVID-19 infectious disease incidences, number of outpatient visits and healthcare costs between 2017 and 2021. Each year was divided into quarters. The adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRRs) during the pandemic (January 2020 to September 2021) and during the prepandemic period (January 2017 to December 2019) were determined using Poisson regression. RESULTS The adjusted influenza IRRs from April 2020 were close to zero. The incidence of upper respiratory tract infections and bacterial pneumonia was significantly reduced (IRRs range: 0.39-0.73 and 0.43-0.84, respectively). Gastrointestinal and urinary tract infection incidences decreased by approximately 30% and 10%, respectively. In contrast, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including syphilis, gonococcal infection and Chlamydia trachomatis infection, did not decrease during the pandemic but increased significantly between April and June 2021 (adjusted IRR, 1.37; 95% confidence interval, 1.18-1.60). The adjusted IRRs for outpatient visits and healthcare costs were 0.86-0.93 and 0.91-0.97, respectively. CONCLUSIONS In contrast to other infections, STIs did not decrease during the COVID-19 pandemic. The IRR of STIs during the pandemic period is an area of public health concern. Appropriate screening and medical consultations are strongly recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- N. Kanda
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Jichi Medical University Hospital, Tochigi, Japan
| | - H. Hashimoto
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Jichi Medical University Hospital, Tochigi, Japan,Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - T. Imai
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Jichi Medical University Hospital, Tochigi, Japan
| | - H. Yoshimoto
- Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - K. Goda
- Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - N. Mitsutake
- Institute for Health Economics and Policy, Tokyo, Japan
| | - S. Hatakeyama
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Jichi Medical University Hospital, Tochigi, Japan,Division of Infectious Diseases, Jichi Medical University Hospital, Tochigi, Japan,Corresponding author. Division of General Internal Medicine, Jichi Medical University Hospital, Yakushiji, Shimotsuke-shi, Tochigi 329-0498, Japan. Tel.: +81 285 58-7498; fax: +81 285 40-5160
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21
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Park YT, Lane C, Lee HJ, Lee J. Was size of healthcare institution a factor affecting changes in healthcare utilisation during the COVID-19 pandemic in Korea? A retrospective study design analysing national healthcare big data. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e064537. [PMID: 36600350 PMCID: PMC9729846 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-064537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Many small-sized healthcare institutions play a critical role in communities by preventing infectious diseases. This study examines how they have been impacted by the global COVID-19 pandemic compared with large hospitals. DESIGN This study adopted a retrospective study design looking back at the healthcare utilisation of medical facilities according to size after the COVID-19 pandemic. The dependent variable was change in the number of outpatient health insurance claims before and after onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The independent variable was an observation time point of the year 2020 compared with 2019. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS The study was conducted in Korea having a competitive medical provision environment under the national health insurance system. The units of analysis are hospitals and clinics: tertiary hospitals (42), general hospitals (293), small hospitals (1272) and medical clinics (27 049). This study analysed all the health insurance claim data from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2020. RESULTS Compared with 2019, in 2020, there were significant decreases in the number of claims (-14.9%), particularly in small hospitals (-16.8%) and clinics (-16.3%), with smaller decreases in general hospitals (-8.9%) and tertiary hospitals (-5.3%). The reduction in healthcare utilisation increased as the size of institutions decreased. The magnitude of decrease was significantly greatest in small hospitals (absolute risk (AR): 0.8317, 0.7758 to 0.8915, p<0.0001; relative risk (RR): 0.8299, 0.7750 to 0.888, p<0.0001) followed by clinics (AR: 0.8369, 0.8262 to 0.8478, p<0.0001; RR: 0.8362, 0.8255 to 0.8470, p<0.0001) even after controlling institutional covariates. CONCLUSION The external impact of the pandemic increased incrementally as the size of healthcare institutions decreased. Healthcare policy-makers need to keep in mind the possibility that small hospitals and clinics may experience reduced healthcare utilisation in the infectious disease pandemic. This fact has political implications for how healthcare policy-makers should prepare for the next infectious disease pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young-Taek Park
- HIRA Research Institute, Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service, Wonju-si, Korea (the Republic of)
| | - Chris Lane
- Health Workforce, Health New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Hyun-Ji Lee
- Department of Health Administration, Yonsei University Graduate School, Wonju-si, Korea (the Republic of)
| | - Jinhyung Lee
- Department of Economics, Sungkyunkwan University, Jongno-gu, Korea (the Republic of)
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22
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Tuczyńska M, Matthews-Kozanecka M, Baum E. Correlation between religion, spirituality and perception of healthcare services utilisation in Poland during COVID-19 pandemic. PeerJ 2022; 10:e14376. [PMID: 36518296 PMCID: PMC9744140 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The worldwide transmission of SARS CoV-2 caused the COVID-19 pandemic and had an impact on healthcare provision. The disruption of reliance on the health system during the COVID-19 pandemic posed a clear threat to public trust. Religiosity, like spirituality, is believed to have a positive influence on people's lives, enabling them to cope with illness, stress, and sudden life changes. In practice, although the terms religiosity and spirituality have similar meanings and are related, they are not identical concepts. The aim of this study is to compare the perceptions of the accessibility and quality of healthcare services provided before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland by religious/spiritual people compared to those for whom religion and spirituality have little or no importance in their lives. Methodology This cross-sectional study was based on the authors' questionnaire, carried out during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland. Participants in the study were people living in various regions of Poland over 18 who were willing to complete the questionnaire voluntarily. The number of people sampled was two hundred and sixty-four. Convenience sampling method was used for this study. Statistical calculations were performed using Statistica 13 software from TIBCO and PQStat from PQStat Software and were based on the Kruskal-Wallis test, multiple regression model, the chi2 test of independence or the Mann-Whitney test. The result was considered statistically significant when p < α. The significance level was taken as α = 0.05. Results Two hundred and sixty-three respondents answered the questionnaire. Among them, 181 (69%) were women, and 82 (31%) were men. It was shown that religion is more important for women than for men and women who report a high role of religion in their lives rated the quality of healthcare services better before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was also concluded that religious people for whom religion played a major role and those who were helped by spiritual life rated accessibility and quality higher both before and during the pandemic. Conclusions Religious/spiritual people, through their more positive attitudes towards the world, were thought to rate access and quality of healthcare services better. Regardless of religious affiliation, the help of spiritual life during the pandemic or the importance of religion in life in all respondents, perception of healthcare services utilisation were decreased by the pandemic. This prompts thoughts on the implementation of spiritual assistance as a supportive measure to mitigate the effects of the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Tuczyńska
- SSC of Maxillofacial Orthopaedics and Orthodontics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Greater Poland, Poland
| | - Maja Matthews-Kozanecka
- Department of Social Sciences and the Humanities, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Greater Poland, Poland
| | - Ewa Baum
- Department of Social Sciences and the Humanities, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Greater Poland, Poland,Division of Philosophy of Medicine and Bioethics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Greater Poland, Poland
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23
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Platen M, Bohlken J, Hoffmann W, Kostev K, Michalowsky B. The long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on primary and specialized care provision and disease recognition in Germany. Front Public Health 2022; 10:1006578. [PMID: 36466500 PMCID: PMC9712961 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1006578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The COVID-19 pandemic and the imposed lockdowns severely affected routine care in general and specialized physician practices. Objective To describe the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the physician services provision and disease recognition in German physician practices and perceived causes for the observed changes. Design Observational study based on medical record data and survey data of general practitioners and specialists' practices. Participants 996 general practitioners (GPs) and 798 specialist practices, who documented 6.1 million treatment cases for medical record data analyses and 645 physicians for survey data analyses. Main measures Within the medical record data, consultations, specialist referrals, hospital admissions, and documented diagnoses were extracted for the pandemic (March 2020-September 2021) and compared to corresponding pre-pandemic months in 2019. The additional online survey was used to assess changes in practice management during the COVID-19 pandemic and physicians' perceived main causes of affected primary and specialized care provision. Main results Hospital admissions (GPs: -22% vs. specialists: -16%), specialist referrals (-6 vs. -3%) and recognized diseases (-9 vs. -8%) significantly decreased over the pandemic. GPs consultations initially decreased (2020: -7%) but compensated at the end of 2021 (+3%), while specialists' consultation did not (-2%). Physicians saw changes in patient behavior, like appointment cancellation, as the main cause of the decrease. Contrary to this, they also mentioned substantial modifications of practice management, like reduced (nursing) home visits (41%) and opening hours (40%), suspended checkups (43%), and delayed consultations for high-risk patients (71%). Conclusion The pandemic left its mark on primary and specialized healthcare provision and its utilization. Both patient behavior and organizational changes in practice management may have caused decreased and non-compensation of services. Evaluating the long-term effect on patient outcomes and identifying potential improvements are vital to better prepare for future pandemic waves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moritz Platen
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Greifswald, Germany
| | - Jens Bohlken
- Institute for Social Medicine, Occupational Medicine, and Public Health (ISAP) of the Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Hoffmann
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Greifswald, Germany,Institute for Community Medicine, Section Epidemiology of Health Care and Community Health, University Medicine Greifswald (UMG), Greifswald, Germany
| | | | - Bernhard Michalowsky
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Greifswald, Germany,*Correspondence: Bernhard Michalowsky
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24
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Delay or postponement of medical care among older adults in the Netherlands at earlier and later stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Aging Clin Exp Res 2022; 34:2913-2917. [PMID: 36260212 PMCID: PMC9579526 DOI: 10.1007/s40520-022-02266-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Aims The aim of the current study was to compare cancellations or postponement of medical care among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic between 2021 and 2020.
Methods Data of respondents aged ≥ 62 years were used from the longitudinal aging study Amsterdam (LASA), collected in 2020 and 2021, directly after the main COVID-19 waves in the Netherlands. A questionnaire assessed cancellations of medical care and postponed help-seeking behavior. Descriptive analyses were performed.
Results Overall, cancellations declined from 35% in 2020 (sample n = 1128) to 17% in 2021 (sample n = 1020). Healthcare-initiated cancellations declined from 29 to 8%. Respondent-initiated cancellations declined from 12 to 7%. Postponed help-seeking remained around 8%. Conclusions In 2021, less cancellations were reported compared to just after the first wave of the pandemic in 2020, while postponed help-seeking remained the same. It is important to investigate how cancellations and postponed help-seeking can be prevented in future pandemics.
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25
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McNaughton CD, Austin PC, Sivaswamy A, Fang J, Abdel-Qadir H, Daneman N, Udell JA, Wodchis WP, Mostarac I, Lee DS, Atzema CL. Post-acute health care burden after SARS-CoV-2 infection: a retrospective cohort study. CMAJ 2022; 194:E1368-E1376. [PMID: 36252983 PMCID: PMC9616149 DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.220728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The post-acute burden of health care use after SARS-CoV-2 infection is unknown. We sought to quantify the post-acute burden of health care use after SARS-CoV-2 infection among community-dwelling adults in Ontario by comparing those with positive and negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test results for SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study involving community-dwelling adults in Ontario who had a PCR test between Jan. 1, 2020, and Mar. 31, 2021. Follow-up began 56 days after PCR testing. We matched people 1:1 on a comprehensive propensity score. We compared per-person-year rates for health care encounters at the mean and 99th percentiles, and compared counts using negative binomial models, stratified by sex. RESULTS Among 531 702 matched people, mean age was 44 (standard deviation [SD] 17) years and 51% were female. Females who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 had a mean of 1.98 (95% CI 1.63 to 2.29) more health care encounters overall per-person-year than those who had a negative test result, with 0.31 (95% CI 0.05 to 0.56) more home care encounters to 0.81 (95% CI 0.69 to 0.93) more long-term care days. At the 99th percentile per-person-year, females who tested positive had 6.48 more days of hospital admission and 28.37 more home care encounters. Males who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 had 0.66 (95% CI 0.34 to 0.99) more overall health care encounters per-person-year than those who tested negative, with 0.14 (95% CI 0.06 to 0.21) more outpatient encounters and 0.48 (95% CI 0.36 to 0.60) long-term care days, and 0.43 (95% CI -0.67 to -0.21) fewer home care encounters. At the 99th percentile, they had 8.69 more days in hospital per-person-year, with fewer home care (-27.31) and outpatient (-0.87) encounters. INTERPRETATION We found significantly higher rates of health care use after a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test in an analysis that matched test-positive with test-negative people. Stakeholders can use these findings to prepare for health care demand associated with post-COVID-19 condition (long COVID).
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Affiliation(s)
- Candace D McNaughton
- ICES Central (McNaughton, Austin, Sivaswamy, Fang, Abdel-Qadir, Daneman, Udell, Wodchis, Lee, Atzema); Sunnybrook Research Institute (McNaughton, Austin, Daneman, Mostarac, Atzema); Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (McNaughton, Daneman, Atzema); Department of Medicine (McNaughton, Abdel-Qadir, Daneman, Udell, Lee, Atzema), and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Austin, Abdel-Qadir, Udell, Wodchis, Atzema), University of Toronto; Peter Munk Cardiac Centre (Abdel-Qadir, Udell, Lee), Toronto General Hospital; Division of Cardiology (Abdel-Qadir, Udell), Women's College Hospital; Department of Medical Imaging (Lee), and Division of Cardiology (Abdel-Qadir, Udell, Lee), University Health Network, University of Toronto; Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research (Abdel-Qadir, Lee); Institute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners, Toronto, Ont.
| | - Peter C Austin
- ICES Central (McNaughton, Austin, Sivaswamy, Fang, Abdel-Qadir, Daneman, Udell, Wodchis, Lee, Atzema); Sunnybrook Research Institute (McNaughton, Austin, Daneman, Mostarac, Atzema); Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (McNaughton, Daneman, Atzema); Department of Medicine (McNaughton, Abdel-Qadir, Daneman, Udell, Lee, Atzema), and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Austin, Abdel-Qadir, Udell, Wodchis, Atzema), University of Toronto; Peter Munk Cardiac Centre (Abdel-Qadir, Udell, Lee), Toronto General Hospital; Division of Cardiology (Abdel-Qadir, Udell), Women's College Hospital; Department of Medical Imaging (Lee), and Division of Cardiology (Abdel-Qadir, Udell, Lee), University Health Network, University of Toronto; Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research (Abdel-Qadir, Lee); Institute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners, Toronto, Ont
| | - Atul Sivaswamy
- ICES Central (McNaughton, Austin, Sivaswamy, Fang, Abdel-Qadir, Daneman, Udell, Wodchis, Lee, Atzema); Sunnybrook Research Institute (McNaughton, Austin, Daneman, Mostarac, Atzema); Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (McNaughton, Daneman, Atzema); Department of Medicine (McNaughton, Abdel-Qadir, Daneman, Udell, Lee, Atzema), and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Austin, Abdel-Qadir, Udell, Wodchis, Atzema), University of Toronto; Peter Munk Cardiac Centre (Abdel-Qadir, Udell, Lee), Toronto General Hospital; Division of Cardiology (Abdel-Qadir, Udell), Women's College Hospital; Department of Medical Imaging (Lee), and Division of Cardiology (Abdel-Qadir, Udell, Lee), University Health Network, University of Toronto; Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research (Abdel-Qadir, Lee); Institute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners, Toronto, Ont
| | - Jiming Fang
- ICES Central (McNaughton, Austin, Sivaswamy, Fang, Abdel-Qadir, Daneman, Udell, Wodchis, Lee, Atzema); Sunnybrook Research Institute (McNaughton, Austin, Daneman, Mostarac, Atzema); Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (McNaughton, Daneman, Atzema); Department of Medicine (McNaughton, Abdel-Qadir, Daneman, Udell, Lee, Atzema), and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Austin, Abdel-Qadir, Udell, Wodchis, Atzema), University of Toronto; Peter Munk Cardiac Centre (Abdel-Qadir, Udell, Lee), Toronto General Hospital; Division of Cardiology (Abdel-Qadir, Udell), Women's College Hospital; Department of Medical Imaging (Lee), and Division of Cardiology (Abdel-Qadir, Udell, Lee), University Health Network, University of Toronto; Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research (Abdel-Qadir, Lee); Institute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners, Toronto, Ont
| | - Husam Abdel-Qadir
- ICES Central (McNaughton, Austin, Sivaswamy, Fang, Abdel-Qadir, Daneman, Udell, Wodchis, Lee, Atzema); Sunnybrook Research Institute (McNaughton, Austin, Daneman, Mostarac, Atzema); Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (McNaughton, Daneman, Atzema); Department of Medicine (McNaughton, Abdel-Qadir, Daneman, Udell, Lee, Atzema), and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Austin, Abdel-Qadir, Udell, Wodchis, Atzema), University of Toronto; Peter Munk Cardiac Centre (Abdel-Qadir, Udell, Lee), Toronto General Hospital; Division of Cardiology (Abdel-Qadir, Udell), Women's College Hospital; Department of Medical Imaging (Lee), and Division of Cardiology (Abdel-Qadir, Udell, Lee), University Health Network, University of Toronto; Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research (Abdel-Qadir, Lee); Institute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners, Toronto, Ont
| | - Nick Daneman
- ICES Central (McNaughton, Austin, Sivaswamy, Fang, Abdel-Qadir, Daneman, Udell, Wodchis, Lee, Atzema); Sunnybrook Research Institute (McNaughton, Austin, Daneman, Mostarac, Atzema); Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (McNaughton, Daneman, Atzema); Department of Medicine (McNaughton, Abdel-Qadir, Daneman, Udell, Lee, Atzema), and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Austin, Abdel-Qadir, Udell, Wodchis, Atzema), University of Toronto; Peter Munk Cardiac Centre (Abdel-Qadir, Udell, Lee), Toronto General Hospital; Division of Cardiology (Abdel-Qadir, Udell), Women's College Hospital; Department of Medical Imaging (Lee), and Division of Cardiology (Abdel-Qadir, Udell, Lee), University Health Network, University of Toronto; Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research (Abdel-Qadir, Lee); Institute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners, Toronto, Ont
| | - Jacob A Udell
- ICES Central (McNaughton, Austin, Sivaswamy, Fang, Abdel-Qadir, Daneman, Udell, Wodchis, Lee, Atzema); Sunnybrook Research Institute (McNaughton, Austin, Daneman, Mostarac, Atzema); Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (McNaughton, Daneman, Atzema); Department of Medicine (McNaughton, Abdel-Qadir, Daneman, Udell, Lee, Atzema), and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Austin, Abdel-Qadir, Udell, Wodchis, Atzema), University of Toronto; Peter Munk Cardiac Centre (Abdel-Qadir, Udell, Lee), Toronto General Hospital; Division of Cardiology (Abdel-Qadir, Udell), Women's College Hospital; Department of Medical Imaging (Lee), and Division of Cardiology (Abdel-Qadir, Udell, Lee), University Health Network, University of Toronto; Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research (Abdel-Qadir, Lee); Institute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners, Toronto, Ont
| | - Walter P Wodchis
- ICES Central (McNaughton, Austin, Sivaswamy, Fang, Abdel-Qadir, Daneman, Udell, Wodchis, Lee, Atzema); Sunnybrook Research Institute (McNaughton, Austin, Daneman, Mostarac, Atzema); Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (McNaughton, Daneman, Atzema); Department of Medicine (McNaughton, Abdel-Qadir, Daneman, Udell, Lee, Atzema), and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Austin, Abdel-Qadir, Udell, Wodchis, Atzema), University of Toronto; Peter Munk Cardiac Centre (Abdel-Qadir, Udell, Lee), Toronto General Hospital; Division of Cardiology (Abdel-Qadir, Udell), Women's College Hospital; Department of Medical Imaging (Lee), and Division of Cardiology (Abdel-Qadir, Udell, Lee), University Health Network, University of Toronto; Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research (Abdel-Qadir, Lee); Institute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners, Toronto, Ont
| | - Ivona Mostarac
- ICES Central (McNaughton, Austin, Sivaswamy, Fang, Abdel-Qadir, Daneman, Udell, Wodchis, Lee, Atzema); Sunnybrook Research Institute (McNaughton, Austin, Daneman, Mostarac, Atzema); Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (McNaughton, Daneman, Atzema); Department of Medicine (McNaughton, Abdel-Qadir, Daneman, Udell, Lee, Atzema), and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Austin, Abdel-Qadir, Udell, Wodchis, Atzema), University of Toronto; Peter Munk Cardiac Centre (Abdel-Qadir, Udell, Lee), Toronto General Hospital; Division of Cardiology (Abdel-Qadir, Udell), Women's College Hospital; Department of Medical Imaging (Lee), and Division of Cardiology (Abdel-Qadir, Udell, Lee), University Health Network, University of Toronto; Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research (Abdel-Qadir, Lee); Institute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners, Toronto, Ont
| | - Douglas S Lee
- ICES Central (McNaughton, Austin, Sivaswamy, Fang, Abdel-Qadir, Daneman, Udell, Wodchis, Lee, Atzema); Sunnybrook Research Institute (McNaughton, Austin, Daneman, Mostarac, Atzema); Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (McNaughton, Daneman, Atzema); Department of Medicine (McNaughton, Abdel-Qadir, Daneman, Udell, Lee, Atzema), and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Austin, Abdel-Qadir, Udell, Wodchis, Atzema), University of Toronto; Peter Munk Cardiac Centre (Abdel-Qadir, Udell, Lee), Toronto General Hospital; Division of Cardiology (Abdel-Qadir, Udell), Women's College Hospital; Department of Medical Imaging (Lee), and Division of Cardiology (Abdel-Qadir, Udell, Lee), University Health Network, University of Toronto; Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research (Abdel-Qadir, Lee); Institute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners, Toronto, Ont
| | - Clare L Atzema
- ICES Central (McNaughton, Austin, Sivaswamy, Fang, Abdel-Qadir, Daneman, Udell, Wodchis, Lee, Atzema); Sunnybrook Research Institute (McNaughton, Austin, Daneman, Mostarac, Atzema); Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (McNaughton, Daneman, Atzema); Department of Medicine (McNaughton, Abdel-Qadir, Daneman, Udell, Lee, Atzema), and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Austin, Abdel-Qadir, Udell, Wodchis, Atzema), University of Toronto; Peter Munk Cardiac Centre (Abdel-Qadir, Udell, Lee), Toronto General Hospital; Division of Cardiology (Abdel-Qadir, Udell), Women's College Hospital; Department of Medical Imaging (Lee), and Division of Cardiology (Abdel-Qadir, Udell, Lee), University Health Network, University of Toronto; Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research (Abdel-Qadir, Lee); Institute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners, Toronto, Ont
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26
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Mahmoodpour-Azari M, Hajizadeh M, Kazemi-Karyani A, Haidari A, Rezaei S. COVID-19 Pandemic and Hospital Efficiency in Iran: Insight from an Interrupted Time Series Analysis and Pabon Lasso Model. J Lifestyle Med 2022; 12:178-187. [PMID: 36628180 PMCID: PMC9798875 DOI: 10.15280/jlm.2022.12.3.178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Limited evidence exists on the impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on hospital efficiency worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public hospitals in Iran. Methods In this quasi-experimental study, monthly data on the average length of stay (ALoS), bed occupancy rate (BOR), bed turnover rate (BTR) and bed turnover interval (BTI) were collected for 58 months (36 months before and 22 months after the COVID-19 outbreak in Iran) from the health information systems of all 18 public hospitals affiliated with Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences in Kermanshah province, Iran. We used interrupted time series analysis and the Pabon Lasso model to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospital efficiency. Results The monthly average ALoS, BOR, BTR and BTI before (after) the COVID-19 pandemic was 3.30 (3.48) days, 70.14% (49.37), 6.78 (4.81) patients per bed and 1.15 (2.88) days, respectively. The study indicated that a statistically significant decrease in ALoS of 0.29 and BOR of 25.09 in the first month following the COVID-19 pandemic. Compared with the before pandemic period, we observed a significant increase in the monthly trend of ALoS (coefficient = 0.021; p = 0.015), BOR (coefficient = 1.30; p = 0.002), and BTR (coefficient = 0.08, p = 0.012). We found a significant decrease in the monthly trend in BTI (coefficient = -0.11, p = 0.009) after the COVID-19 pandemic when compared with before the pandemic. Based on the Pabon Lasso model, before (after) the pandemic, 29.4% (29.4%) of the hospitals were located in zone 1 as an inefficient area, and 17.6% (35.3%) of hospitals were located in zone 3 as an efficient area. Conclusion The study demonstrated that the BOR and BTR decreased substantially after the outbreak of COVID-19. In contrast, the ALoS and BTI have significantly increased following the COVID-19 pandemic. We also found that hospitals' performance in both periods was poor, and only 30% of hospitals were located in the efficient zone (zone three) based on the Pabon Lasso model. Further studies aimed at identifying the main factors affecting lower efficiency among hospitals in Iran are recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monireh Mahmoodpour-Azari
- Research Center for Environmental Determinants of Health, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hajizadeh
- School of Health Administration, Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
| | - Ali Kazemi-Karyani
- Research Center for Environmental Determinants of Health, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Afshar Haidari
- Research Center for Environmental Determinants of Health, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Satar Rezaei
- Research Center for Environmental Determinants of Health, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran,Corresponding author: Satar Rezaei, Research Center for Environmental Determinants of Health, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Isar Sq., across from Farabi Hospital, Kermanshah 6719851351, Iran Tel: 98-83-3828-1991, Fax: 98-83-3826-3048, E-mail:
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27
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Jolliffe DA, Holt H, Greenig M, Talaei M, Perdek N, Pfeffer P, Vivaldi G, Maltby S, Symons J, Barlow NL, Normandale A, Garcha R, Richter AG, Faustini SE, Orton C, Ford D, Lyons RA, Davies GA, Kee F, Griffiths CJ, Norrie J, Sheikh A, Shaheen SO, Relton C, Martineau AR. Effect of a test-and-treat approach to vitamin D supplementation on risk of all cause acute respiratory tract infection and covid-19: phase 3 randomised controlled trial (CORONAVIT). BMJ 2022; 378:e071230. [PMID: 36215226 PMCID: PMC9449358 DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2022-071230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of population level implementation of a test-and-treat approach to correction of suboptimal vitamin D status (25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) <75 nmol/L) on risk of all cause acute respiratory tract infection and covid 19. DESIGN Phase 3 open label randomised controlled trial. SETTING United Kingdom. PARTICIPANTS 6200 people aged ≥16 years who were not taking vitamin D supplements at baseline. INTERVENTIONS Offer of a postal finger prick test of blood 25(OH)D concentration with provision of a six month supply of lower dose vitamin D (800 IU/day, n=1550) or higher dose vitamin D (3200 IU/day, n=1550) to those with blood 25(OH)D concentration <75 nmol/L, compared with no offer of testing or supplementation (n=3100). Follow-up was for six months. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome was the proportion of participants with at least one swab test or doctor confirmed acute respiratory tract infection of any cause. A secondary outcome was the proportion of participants with swab test confirmed covid-19. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios and associated 95% confidence intervals. The primary analysis was conducted by intention to treat. RESULTS Of 3100 participants offered a vitamin D test, 2958 (95.4%) accepted and 2674 (86.3%) had 25(OH)D concentrations <75 nmol/L and received vitamin D supplements (n=1328 lower dose, n=1346 higher dose). Compared with 136/2949 (4.6%) participants in the no offer group, at least one acute respiratory tract infection of any cause occurred in 87/1515 (5.7%) in the lower dose group (odds ratio 1.26, 95% confidence interval 0.96 to 1.66) and 76/1515 (5.0%) in the higher dose group (1.09, 0.82 to 1.46). Compared with 78/2949 (2.6%) participants in the no offer group, 55/1515 (3.6%) developed covid-19 in the lower dose group (1.39, 0.98 to 1.97) and 45/1515 (3.0%) in the higher dose group (1.13, 0.78 to 1.63). CONCLUSIONS Among people aged 16 years and older with a high baseline prevalence of suboptimal vitamin D status, implementation of a population level test-and-treat approach to vitamin D supplementation was not associated with a reduction in risk of all cause acute respiratory tract infection or covid-19. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04579640.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Jolliffe
- Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, UK
| | - Hayley Holt
- Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, UK
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Matthew Greenig
- Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, UK
| | - Mohammad Talaei
- Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, UK
| | - Natalia Perdek
- Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, UK
| | - Paul Pfeffer
- Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, UK
| | - Giulia Vivaldi
- Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, UK
| | - Sheena Maltby
- Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, UK
| | | | - Nicola L Barlow
- Clinical Biochemistry Department, Black Country Pathology Services, City Hospital, Birmingham, UK
| | - Alexa Normandale
- Clinical Biochemistry Department, Black Country Pathology Services, City Hospital, Birmingham, UK
| | - Rajvinder Garcha
- Clinical Biochemistry Department, Black Country Pathology Services, City Hospital, Birmingham, UK
| | - Alex G Richter
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Sian E Faustini
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Christopher Orton
- Population Data Science, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea, UK
- Health Data Research UK BREATHE Hub, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - David Ford
- Population Data Science, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea, UK
- Health Data Research UK BREATHE Hub, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Ronan A Lyons
- Population Data Science, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea, UK
- Health Data Research UK BREATHE Hub, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Gwyneth A Davies
- Population Data Science, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea, UK
- Health Data Research UK BREATHE Hub, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Frank Kee
- Centre for Public Health (NI), Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Christopher J Griffiths
- Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, UK
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- Health Data Research UK BREATHE Hub, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - John Norrie
- Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Health Data Research UK BREATHE Hub, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Aziz Sheikh
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Health Data Research UK BREATHE Hub, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Seif O Shaheen
- Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, UK
| | - Clare Relton
- Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, UK
| | - Adrian R Martineau
- Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, UK
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
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28
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Yamaguchi S, Okada A, Sunaga S, Ikeda Kurakawa K, Yamauchi T, Nangaku M, Kadowaki T. Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare service use for non-COVID-19 patients in Japan: retrospective cohort study. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e060390. [PMID: 35466081 PMCID: PMC9058318 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-060390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We aimed to investigate the impact of the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare service use by non-COVID-19 patients. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING Hospital-based claims database from anonymised hospitals in Japan. PARTICIPANTS Patients (n=785 495) who visited and/or were hospitalised in 26 anonymised hospitals in Japan between January 2017 and November 2020. OUTCOME MEASURES We compared changes in the monthly number of hospitalisations (overall or by diagnosis), outpatient visits, endoscopic fibrescopies (EFs), rehabilitations, outpatient chemotherapy treatments, maintenance haemodialysis treatments and outpatient prescriptions between pre-COVID-19 years and the same period in 2020. RESULTS The overall number of hospitalisations and outpatient visits decreased by 27% and 22%, respectively, in May 2020, of which the most substantial decrease was observed in the paediatrics department (65% and 51%, respectively). The number of hospitalisations for respiratory diseases, circulatory diseases, malignant neoplasms and digestive diseases decreased by a maximum of 55%, 32%, 10% and 26%, respectively, in 2020. The number of hospitalisations for non-COVID-19 pneumonia in patients aged <16 years, patients aged ≥16 years and patients with asthma decreased by 93%, 43% and 80%, respectively, in May 2020. EFs and outpatient rehabilitations decreased by >30%. In contrast, outpatient chemotherapy and maintenance haemodialysis treatments decreased by <10%, if at all. Outpatient prescriptions decreased by a maximum of 20% in 2020, with the largest decrease observed in drugs for obstructive airway diseases and cough and cold preparations. CONCLUSIONS The use of healthcare services by non-COVID-19 patients was most affected during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2020. The number of hospitalisations for respiratory diseases, particularly non-COVID-19 pneumonia and asthma, drastically decreased, while the number of hospitalisations and outpatient chemotherapies for malignant neoplasms or maintenance haemodialysis was less affected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoko Yamaguchi
- Department of Prevention of Diabetes and Lifestyle-Related Diseases, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akira Okada
- Department of Prevention of Diabetes and Lifestyle-Related Diseases, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Kayo Ikeda Kurakawa
- Department of Prevention of Diabetes and Lifestyle-Related Diseases, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toshimasa Yamauchi
- Department of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masaomi Nangaku
- Division of Nephrology and Endocrinology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takashi Kadowaki
- Department of Prevention of Diabetes and Lifestyle-Related Diseases, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Toranomon Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
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29
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Pujolar G, Oliver-Anglès A, Vargas I, Vázquez ML. Changes in Access to Health Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:1749. [PMID: 35162772 PMCID: PMC8834942 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19031749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic and the measures adopted are having a profound impact on a major goal of public healthcare systems: universal access to health services. The objective is to synthesize the available knowledge on access to health care for non-COVID-19 conditions and to identify knowledge gaps. A scoping review was conducted searching different databases (Medline, Google Scholar, etc.) for original articles published between December 2019 and September 2021. A total of 53 articles were selected and analyzed using the Aday and Andersen framework as a guide. Of these, 37 analyzed changes in levels of use of health services, 15 focused on the influencing factors and barriers to access, and 1 studied both aspects. Most focused on specific diseases and the early stages of the pandemic, based on a review of records. Analyses of the impact on primary care services' use, unmet needs or inequalities in access were scarce. A generalized reduction in the use of health services was described. The most frequent access barrier described for non-COVID-19 conditions related to the services was a lack of resources, while barriers related to the population were predisposing (fear of contagion, stigma, or anticipating barriers) and enabling characteristics (worse socioeconomic status and an increase in technological barriers). In conclusion, our results show a general reduction in services' use in the early stages of the pandemic, as well as new barriers to access and the exacerbation of existing ones. In view of these results, more studies are required on the subsequent stages of the pandemic, to shed more light on the factors that have influenced access and the pandemic's impact on equity of access.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgina Pujolar
- Health Policy Research Unit (SEPPS), Consorci de Salut i Social de Catalunya, 08022 Barcelona, Spain; (A.O.-A.); (I.V.); (M.-L.V.)
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