Effect of the COVID-19 lockdown on disease recognition and utilisation of healthcare services in the older population in Germany: a cross-sectional study.
Age Ageing
; 50(2): 317-325, 2021 02 26.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1114821
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
There is little evidence about the utilisation of healthcare services and disease recognition in the older population, which was urged to self-isolate during the COVID-19 lockdown.OBJECTIVES:
We aimed to describe the utilisation of physician consultations, specialist referrals, hospital admissions and the recognition of incident diseases in Germany for this age group during the COVID-19 lockdown.DESIGN:
Cross-sectional observational study.SETTING:
1,095 general practitioners (GPs) and 960 specialist practices in Germany.SUBJECTS:
2.45 million older patients aged 65 or older.METHODS:
The number of documented physician consultations, specialist referrals, hospital admissions and incident diagnoses during the imposed lockdown in 2020 was descriptively analysed and compared to 2019.RESULTS:
Physician consultations decrease slightly in February (-2%), increase before the imposed lockdown in March (+9%) and decline in April (-18%) and May (-14%) 2020 compared to the same periods in 2019. Volumes of hospital admissions decrease earlier and more intensely than physician consultations (-39 versus -6%, respectively). Overall, 15, 16 and 18% fewer incident diagnoses were documented by GPs, neurologists and diabetologists, respectively, in 2020. Diabetes, dementia, depression, cancer and stroke were diagnosed less frequently during the lockdown (-17 to -26%), meaning that the decrease in the recognition of diseases was greater than the decrease in physician consultations.CONCLUSION:
The data suggest that organisational changes were adopted quickly by practice management but also raise concerns about the maintenance of routine care. Prospective studies should evaluate the long-term effects of lockdowns on patient-related outcomes.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Patient Acceptance of Health Care
/
Quarantine
/
Delivery of Health Care
/
Delayed Diagnosis
/
Noncommunicable Diseases
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Cohort study
/
Diagnostic study
/
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Randomized controlled trials
Topics:
Long Covid
Limits:
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
Europa
Language:
English
Journal:
Age Ageing
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Ageing
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