Dataset Information

Asthma Disparities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey of Patients and Physicians.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has demonstrated significantly worse outcomes for minority (black and Hispanic) individuals. Understanding the reasons for COVID-19-related disparities among patients with asthma has important public health implications.

Objective

To determine factors contributing to health disparities in those with asthma during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

An anonymous survey was sent through social media to adult patients with asthma, and a separate survey was sent to physicians who provide asthma care. The patient survey addressed demographic information including socioeconomic status, asthma control, and attitudes/health behaviors during COVID-19.

Results

A total of 1171 patients (10.1% minority individuals) and 225 physicians completed the survey. Minority patients were more likely to have been affected by COVID-19 (eg, became unemployed, lived in a community with high COVID-19 cases). They had worse asthma control (increased emergency visits for asthma, lower Asthma Control Test score), were more likely to live in urban areas, and had a lower household income. Initial differences in attitudes and health behaviors disappeared after controlling for baseline demographic features. Institutional racism was demonstrated by findings that minority individuals were less likely to have a primary care physician, had more trouble affording asthma medications due to COVID-19, and were more likely to have lost health insurance because of COVID-19, and that 25% of physicians found it more challenging to care for black individuals with asthma during COVID-19.

Conclusions

Differences in socioeconomic status and the effects of institutional racism, but not health behaviors, sources of information, or attitudes, are playing a role in disparities seen for patients with asthma during COVID-19.

SUBMITTER: Baptist AP

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7836887 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov - Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Asthma Disparities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey of Patients and Physicians.

Baptist Alan P AP Lowe Desmond D Sarsour Nadeen N Jaffee Hannah H Eftekhari Sanaz S Carpenter Laurie M LM Bansal Priya P

The journal of allergy and clinical immunology. In practice 20200924 10

<h4>Background</h4>The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has demonstrated significantly worse outcomes for minority (black and Hispanic) individuals. Understanding the reasons for COVID-19-related disparities among patients with asthma has important public health implications.<h4>Objective</h4>To determine factors contributing to health disparities in those with asthma during the COVID-19 pandemic.<h4>Methods</h4>An anonymous survey was sent through social media to adult patients with ...[more]

PMID: 32980585

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundGeneralized restriction of movement due to the COVID-19 pandemic, together with unprecedented pressure on the health system, has disrupted routine care for non-COVID-19 patients. Telemedicine should be vigorously promoted to reduce the risk of infections and to offer medical assistance to restricted patients.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to understand physicians' attitudes toward and perspectives of telemedicine during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to provide support for better implementation of telemedicine.MethodsWe surveyed all physicians (N=148), from October 17 to 25, 2020, who attended the clinical informatics PhD program at West China Medical School, Sichuan University, China. The physicians came from 57 hospitals in 16 provinces (ie, municipalities) across China, 54 of which are 3A-level hospitals, two are 3B-level hospitals, and one is a 2A-level hospital.ResultsAmong 148 physicians, a survey response rate of 87.2% (129/148) was attained. The average age of the respondents was 35.6 (SD 3.9) years (range 23-48 years) and 67 out of 129 respondents (51.9%) were female. The respondents come from 37 clinical specialties in 55 hospitals located in 14 provinces (ie, municipalities) across Eastern, Central, and Western China. A total of 94.6% (122/129) of respondents' hospitals had adopted a telemedicine system; however, 34.1% (44/129) of the physicians had never used a telemedicine system and only 9.3% (12/129) used one frequently (≥1 time/week). A total of 91.5% (118/129) and 88.4% (114/129) of physicians were willing to use telemedicine during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, respectively. Physicians considered the inability to examine patients in person to be the biggest concern (101/129, 78.3%) and the biggest barrier (76/129, 58.9%) to implementing telemedicine.ConclusionsTelemedicine is not yet universally available for all health care needs and has not been used frequently by physicians in this study. However, the willingness of physicians to use telemedicine was high. Telemedicine still has many problems to overcome.

Dataset Information

Asthma Disparities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey of Patients and Physicians.

Background

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Asthma Disparities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey of Patients and Physicians.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets