Dataset Information

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Intensity of Health Services Use in General Practice: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

ABSTRACT: Objectives: We aimed to explore the impact of the Swiss shutdown in spring 2020 on the intensity of health services use in general practice. Methods: Based on an electronic medical records database, we built one patient cohort each for January-June 2019 (control, 173,523 patients) and 2020 (179,086 patients). We used linear regression to model weekly consultation counts and blood pressure (BP) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) measurement counts per 100 patients and predicted non-shutdown values. Analyses were repeated for selected at-risk groups and different age groups. Results: During the shutdown, weekly consultation counts were lower than predicted by -17.2% (total population), -16.5% (patients with hypertension), -17.5% (diabetes), -17.6% (cardiovascular disease), -15.7% (patients aged <60 years), -20.4% (60-80 years), and -14.5% (>80 years). Weekly BP counts were reduced by -35.3% (total population) and -35.0% (hypertension), and HbA1c counts by -33.2% (total population) and -29.8% (diabetes). p-values <0.001 for all reported estimates. Conclusion: Our results document consequential decreases in consultation counts and chronic disease monitoring during the shutdown. It is crucial that health systems remain able to meet non-COVID-19-related health care needs.

SUBMITTER: Rachamin Y

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8565270 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Intensity of Health Services Use in General Practice: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Rachamin Yael Y Senn Oliver O Streit Sven S Dubois Julie J Deml Michael J MJ Jungo Katharina Tabea KT

International journal of public health 20210507

<b>Objectives:</b> We aimed to explore the impact of the Swiss shutdown in spring 2020 on the intensity of health services use in general practice. <b>Methods:</b> Based on an electronic medical records database, we built one patient cohort each for January-June 2019 (control, 173,523 patients) and 2020 (179,086 patients). We used linear regression to model weekly consultation counts and blood pressure (BP) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) measurement counts per 100 patients and predicted non-shu ...[more]

PMID: 34744588

Similar Datasets

Project description:ObjectivesWe 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.DesignRetrospective cohort study.SettingHospital-based claims database from anonymised hospitals in Japan.ParticipantsPatients (n=785 495) who visited and/or were hospitalised in 26 anonymised hospitals in Japan between January 2017 and November 2020.Outcome measuresWe 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.ResultsThe 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.ConclusionsThe 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.

Dataset Information

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Intensity of Health Services Use in General Practice: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Publications

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Intensity of Health Services Use in General Practice: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets