Challenges for Primary Caregivers during the COVID‑19 Pandemic in Accessing Health Care of Children with Chronic Diseases under Periodic Follow‑up at a Tertiary Care Hospital in South India

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Challenges faced by the primary caregivers during the COVID‑19 pandemic help to identify their needs and health seeking behavior during pandemic. Objectives: (1) To describe the factors associated with periodic follow‑up at the hospital which posed as difficulties to their primary caregivers during the COVID‑19 pandemic. (2) To identify the measures adopted by these primary caregivers to overcome those difficulties. MaterialsandMethods: This hospital‑based cross‑sectional observational study was conducted from May to August 2021 among 57 primary caregivers of children with chronic diseases registered before March 1, 2020, who were under periodic follow‑up in our pediatrics department. Data were collected by direct or telephonic interview using a predesigned semi‑structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics like mean, standard deviation, proportions and paired “t”‑test using Epi info and IBM SPSS trial version 28.0. Results: Frequency of hospital visits of 14 (24.6%) subjects were reduced during the COVID pandemic compared to the prepandemic period. During the COVID pandemic, 42 (73.7%) subjects had faced transportation difficulties, 23 (40.3%) had faced financial difficulties, 22 (38.6%) had skipped their scheduled follow‑up visits and around 31.6% of them have feared of contracting COVID. None had availed telemedicine consultation for their children either before or during the pandemic. Conclusions: Difficulties faced in transportation, fear of contracting COVID, financial difficulties, and lack of awareness of teleconsultation services were identified as their major obstacles.