Older adults report cancellation or avoidance of medical care during the COVID-19 pandemic: results from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam.

Autor: Schuster NA; Department of Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Location VU University Medical Center, P.O. Box 7057, 1007MB, Amsterdam, The Netherlands., de Breij S; Department of Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Location VU University Medical Center, P.O. Box 7057, 1007MB, Amsterdam, The Netherlands., Schaap LA; Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Science, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands., van Schoor NM; Department of Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Location VU University Medical Center, P.O. Box 7057, 1007MB, Amsterdam, The Netherlands., Peters MJL; Department of Internal Medicine, Section Geriatrics, Amsterdam UMC, Location VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands., de Jongh RT; Department of Internal Medicine, Section Endocrinology, Amsterdam UMC, Location VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands., Huisman M; Department of Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Location VU University Medical Center, P.O. Box 7057, 1007MB, Amsterdam, The Netherlands., Hoogendijk EO; Department of Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Location VU University Medical Center, P.O. Box 7057, 1007MB, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. e.hoogendijk@amsterdamumc.nl.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: European geriatric medicine [Eur Geriatr Med] 2021 Oct; Vol. 12 (5), pp. 1075-1083. Date of Electronic Publication: 2021 May 28.
DOI: 10.1007/s41999-021-00514-3
Abstrakt: Purpose: Delay of routine medical care during the COVID-19 pandemic may have serious consequences for the health and functioning of older adults. The aim of this study was to investigate whether older adults reported cancellation or avoidance of medical care during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, and to explore associations with health and socio-demographic characteristics.
Methods: Cross-sectional data of 880 older adults aged ≥ 62 years (mean age 73.4 years, 50.3% female) were used from the COVID-19 questionnaire of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam, a cohort study among community-dwelling older adults in the Netherlands. Cancellation and avoidance of care were assessed by self-report, and covered questions on cancellation of primary care (general practitioner), cancellation of hospital outpatient care, and postponed help-seeking. Respondent characteristics included age, sex, educational level, loneliness, depression, anxiety, frailty, multimorbidity and information on quarantine.
Results: 35% of the sample reported cancellations due to the COVID-19 situation, either initiated by the respondent (12%) or by healthcare professionals (29%). Postponed help-seeking was reported by 8% of the sample. Multimorbidity was associated with healthcare-initiated cancellations (primary care OR = 1.92, 95% CI = 1.09-3.50; hospital OR = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.28-2.74) and respondent-initiated hospital outpatient cancellations (OR = 2.02, 95% CI = 1.04-4.12). Depressive symptoms were associated with postponed help-seeking (OR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.06-1.24).
Conclusion: About one third of the study sample reported cancellation or avoidance of medical care during the first months of the pandemic, and this was more common among those with multiple chronic conditions. How this impacts outcomes in the long term should be investigated in future research.
(© 2021. The Author(s).)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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