Disruptions in Care for Medicare Beneficiaries With Severe Mental Illness During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Little is known about changes in care for individuals with severe mental illness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective

To examine changes in mental health care during the pandemic and the use of telemedicine in outpatient care among Medicare beneficiaries with severe mental illness.

Design, setting, and participants

This population-based cohort study included Medicare beneficiaries (age ≥18 years) diagnosed with schizophrenia and schizophrenia-related disorders or bipolar I disorder. Care patterns during January to September 2020 for a cohort defined in 2019 were compared with those during January to September 2019 for a cohort defined in 2018.

Exposures

Start of COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, defined as week 12 of 2020.

Main outcomes a

SUBMITTER: Busch AB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8800078 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature