Seeking Healthcare During Lockdown: Challenges, Opportunities and Lessons for the Future.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In Aotearoa/New Zealand, the first nation-wide coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown occurred from March 23, 2020 to May 13, 2020, requiring most people to stay at home. Health services had to suddenly change how they delivered healthcare and some services were limited or postponed. This study investigated access to healthcare during this lockdown period, whether patients delayed seeking healthcare and reasons for these delays, focusing on the accessibility of primary care services.

Methods

Adults (aged 18 years or older) who had contact with primary care services were invited through social media and email lists to participate in an online survey (n = 1010) and 38 people were recruited for in-depth interviews. We thematically analysed qualitative data from

SUBMITTER: Imlach F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9808356 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature