Procedure Prioritization During a Nationwide Ban on Non-Urgent Healthcare: A Quasi-Experimental Retrospective Study of Hospital Data in Switzerland.

ABSTRACT:

Background

During the COVID-19 lockdown in spring 2020, Switzerland restricted non-urgent healthcare services to safeguard capacity. While prioritization of care was supposed to be driven by medical urgency, demographic factors or economic incentives might have influenced the hospitals' resource allocation decisions.

Objectives

This study investigates potential determinants of procedure prioritization in hospitalized patients during the lockdown period.

Design

Quasi-experimental retrospective study of hospital data in Switzerland.

Methods

We analyzed 496 456 adult patients with known insurance status and a recorded procedure, admitted for cardiovascular, orthopedic/musculoskeletal or oncological reasons from January 2017 (3 years before the COVID-19 outbreak) t

SUBMITTER: Grischott T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11503697 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature