Physician visits and medication prescriptions for major chronic diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan: retrospective cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

There have been concerns that patients with chronic conditions may be avoiding in-person physician visits due to fear of COVID-19, leading to lower quality of care. We aimed to investigate changes in physician visits and medication prescriptions for chronic diseases before and during the COVID-19 pandemic at the population level.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Nationwide claims data in Japan, 2018-2020.

Participants

Working-age population (aged 18-74 years) who visited physicians and received any prescriptions for major chronic diseases (hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidaemia) before the pandemic.

Outcome measures

The outcomes were the monthly number of physician visits, the monthly proportion of physician visits and the monthly

SUBMITTER: Osawa I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8313311 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature