When fear backfires: Emergency department accesses during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Health Policy
; 124(12): 1333-1339, 2020 12.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-910332
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
The increase in access to Emergency Departments (ED) worldwide causes inefficiencies, but also signals its importance. The Coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak allows to study the reactions of patients to the news about the spreading of the infection, which may have generated the fear that ED was no longer safe.METHODS:
We study access to ED of a large teaching hospital in Brescia - one of the most hit provinces in Italy by Covid-19 - during the pandemic (from the announcement of the first cases to the explosion of the pandemic, to months after end of the acute phase) to study how patients reacted to the news that ED could no longer be a safe place. We analyse triage code, mode of arrival to ED, and accesses related to chest and abdominal pain, to evaluate who was discouraged most.RESULTS:
Accesses have drastically reduced immediately after the news of the first contagion. During the lockdown accesses and admissions to hospital ward have decreased; this may mean that some patients may have suffered reduced health or increased mortality risks because of this decision. At the end of June accesses to ED and admissions to hospital ward are still lower than usual.DISCUSSION:
Fear of contagion and appeals not to use ED directly by Covid-19 patients may have discouraged access also for pressing health need.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Emergency Service, Hospital
/
Fear
/
Pandemics
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
Europa
Language:
English
Journal:
Health Policy
Journal subject:
Health Services Research
/
Public Health
Year:
2020
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
J.healthpol.2020.10.006
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