Effect of shelter-in-place on emergency department radiology volumes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to significant disruptions in the healthcare system including surges of infected patients exceeding local capacity, closures of primary care offices, and delays of non-emergent medical care. Government-initiated measures to decrease healthcare utilization (i.e., "flattening the curve") have included shelter-in-place mandates and social distancing, which have taken effect across most of the USA. We evaluate the immediate impact of the Public Health Messaging and shelter-in-place mandates on Emergency Department (ED) demand for radiology services.

Methods

We analyzed ED radiology volumes from the five University of California health systems during a 2-week time period following the shelter-in-place mandate and co

SUBMITTER: Houshyar R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7273127 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature