The Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic Restrictions on Lead Screening in a Primary Care Clinic.
J Pediatr Health Care
; 36(1): 64-70, 2022.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1240543
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has disrupted outpatient pediatrics, postponing well-child care to address immediate patient safety concerns. Screening for lead toxicity is a critical component of this care. Children may be at increased risk for lead exposure at home because of social restrictions. We present data on how COVID-19 restrictions have impacted lead screening in a primary care practice.METHOD:
Lead testing data on 658 children in a primary care practice were analyzed to determine the effect of COVID-19 restrictions on lead screening rates, levels, and deficiencies.RESULTS:
Lead screening significantly decreased during peak restrictions, leading to increased screening deficiencies. Despite this decrease, screening lead levels increased during peak restrictions.DISCUSSION:
These data show how COVID-19 restrictions have disrupted routine care and highlight the importance of continued lead screening in at-risk populations. The electronic medical record can be leveraged to identify deficiencies to be targeted by quality improvement initiatives.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
COVID-19
/
Lead
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Child
/
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
J Pediatr Health Care
Journal subject:
Nursing
/
Pediatrics
/
Health Services
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
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