ABSTRACT
As the rate of natural disasters and other devastating events caused by human activities increases, the burden on the health and well-being of those affected by kidney disease has been immeasurable. Health system preparedness, which involves creating a resilient system that is able to deal with the health needs of the entire community during times of unexpected disruptions to usual care, has become globally important. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a heightened awareness of the amplification of negative effects on the renal community. Paradoxically, the complex medical needs of those who have kidney diseases are not met by systems handling crises, often compounded by an acute increase in burden via new patients as a result of the crisis itself. Disruptions in kidney care as a result of unexpected events are becoming more prevalent and likely to increase in the years to come. It is therefore only appropriate that the theme for this year's World Kidney Day will focus on Kidney Health for All: preparedness for the unexpected in supporting the vulnerable. © 2023 JSC Vidal Rus. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Background: The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has spread globally and dramatically changed lives. Due to the absence of specific antiviral therapies and initial lack of vaccines, the main treatment strategy for COVID-19 has been supportive care. This provides room for integrative therapies such as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to provide prevention and symptom relief. Objective: To understand the impact of COVID-19 on acupuncture and Chinese medicine practice at a University Health Center during COVID-19 through comparison of patient visit data and the herbal prescription patterns between 2019 and 2020. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of electronic health records data from January 2019 to December 2019 and compared them to the data between January 2020 to December 2020. We also specifically evaluated the Chinese herbal medicine prescription patterns to identify if there was an increase in herbal formula prescriptions for immune health. Results: Our results indicate that there was a reduction in the total number of patient visits in 2019 as compared to 2020 (6951 vs. 4346), the number of unique patients also decreased (946 vs. 725) during this period. There was no change in the female-male ratio of patients seeking acupuncture and Chinese medicine. Many patients visiting the university health center still received only acupuncture treatment. However, the percentage of unique patients receiving herbs increased by 7%. Also, formulas usually indicated for immune health were prescribed more frequently during COVID-19. There was no change in the prescription patterns of herbs for mental health and other conditions. Conclusion: COVID-19 had a definite economic impact on the university based TCM practice similar to other clinical practices. There was no significant increase in the use of herbs for COVID-19 symptom relief or for mental stress caused by the pandemic. There is a trend in increased use of herbs for immune health.