Characterizing Health Care Delays and Interruptions in the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Internet-Based, Cross-sectional Survey Study

Autor: Papautsky, Elizabeth Lerner, Rice, Dylan R, Ghoneima, Hana, McKowen, Anna Laura W, Anderson, Nicholas, Wootton, Angie R, Veldhuis, Cindy
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: Journal of Medical Internet Research, Vol 23, Iss 5, p e25446 (2021)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1438-8871
DOI: 10.2196/25446
Popis: BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has broader geographic spread and potentially longer lasting effects than those of previous disasters. Necessary preventive precautions for the transmission of COVID-19 has resulted in delays for in-person health care services, especially at the outset of the pandemic. ObjectiveAmong a US sample, we examined the rates of delays (defined as cancellations and postponements) in health care at the outset of the pandemic and characterized the reasons for such delays. MethodsAs part of an internet-based survey that was distributed on social media in April 2020, we asked a US–based convenience sample of 2570 participants about delays in their health care resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Participant demographics and self-reported worries about general health and the COVID-19 pandemic were explored as potent determinants of health care delays. In addition to all delays, we focused on the following three main types of delays, which were the primary outcomes in this study: dental, preventive, and diagnostic care delays. For each outcome, we used bivariate statistical tests (t tests and chi-square tests) and multiple logistic regression models to determine which factors were associated with health care delays. ResultsThe top reported barrier to receiving health care was the fear of SARS-CoV-2 infection (126/374, 33.6%). Almost half (1227/2570, 47.7%) of the participants reported experiencing health care delays. Among those who experienced health care delays and further clarified the type of delay they experienced (921/1227, 75.1%), the top three reported types of care that were affected by delays included dental (351/921, 38.1%), preventive (269/921, 29.2%), and diagnostic (151/921, 16.4%) care. The logistic regression models showed that age (P
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
Externí odkaz:
Nepřihlášeným uživatelům se plný text nezobrazuje