Dataset Information

Accessibility to Non-COVID Health Services in the World During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Review.

ABSTRACT: Background: COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV2 has seriously impacted the global economy. Medical facilities around the world were not prepared for the enormous challenges posed by the growing number of patients each day, the shortage of personal protective equipment, and insufficient numbers of medical staff. Governments have tried to counteract the impact of the pandemic, but the measures taken have not always been sufficient to maintain access to and quality of health services at the same level as before the pandemic. The disruption of health services has resulted in more and more research reports from different parts of the world on the accessibility of health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: This review article presents 21 selected scientific studies on access to health services in different regions of the world. Articles were found in PubMed, GoogleScholar, Medline, and ScienceDirect databases, then grouped, and significant data were extracted from each article. The results were summarized in a table. Results: The range of limited health services included a variety of specialties, including primary care, psychiatry, orthopedics, cardiology, neurosurgery, and more. Methods used in the studies were based on retrospective analysis or on the subjective assessment of patients in the form of a questionnaire or interview. Most authors claimed a decrease in accessibility to health services during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period, including a decrease in planned surgeries, doctor appointments, patient admission to hospital or ER, and access to medicines. Additionally, some authors observed an increase in the mortality rate. One of the few medical services that have expanded rapidly during the pandemic was online appointments. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has most certainly affected the accessibility of health services worldwide. Lessons should be learned to prevent inaccessibility to medical services, especially as experts predict another wave of COVID-19 cases.

SUBMITTER: Tuczynska M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8716399 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:Health services researchers within the Veterans Health Administration (VA) seek to improve the delivery of care to the Veteran population, whose medical needs often differ from the general population. The COVID-19 pandemic and restricted access to medical centers and offices forced VA researchers and staff to transition to remote work. This study aimed to characterize the work experience of health service researchers during the COVID-19 pandemic. A REDCap survey developed from the management literature was distributed in July 2020 to 800 HSR&D researchers and staff affiliated with VA Centers of Innovation. We requested recipients to forward the survey to VA colleagues. Descriptive analyses and logistic regression modeling were conducted on multiple choice and Likert scaled items. Manifest content analysis was conducted on open-text responses. Responses were received from 473 researchers and staff from 37 VA Medical Centers. About half (48%; n = 228) of VA HSR&D researchers and staff who responded to the survey experienced some interference with their research due to the COVID-19 pandemic, yet 55% (n = 260) reported their programs of research did not slow or stop. Clinician investigators reported significantly greater odds of interference than non-clinician investigators and support staff. The most common barriers to working remotely were loss of face-to-face interactions with colleagues (56%; n = 263) and absence of daily routines (25%; n = 118). Strategies teams used to address COVID-19 related remote work challenges included videoconferencing (79%; n = 375), virtual get-togethers (48%; n = 225), altered timelines (42%; n = 199), daily email updates (30%; n = 143) and virtual team huddles (16%; n = 74). Pre-pandemic VA information technology structures along with systems created to support multidisciplinary research teams working across a national healthcare system maintained and enhanced staff engagement and well-being. This study identifies how the VA structures and systems put in place prior to the COVID-19 pandemic to support a dispersed workforce enabled the continuation of vital scientific research, staff engagement and well-being during a global pandemic. These findings can inform remote work policies and practices for researchers during the current and future crises.

Project description:BackgroundSeveral recent studies examined patient use and satisfaction with synchronous telemental health services in response to the widespread implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a systematic review of recent literature on the determinants of these outcomes is missing.ObjectiveThe aim of this systematic review was to give an extensive overview of the literature on and highlight the influential determinants of patient use and satisfaction with synchronous telemental health services during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsThis review satisfied the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO. Peer-reviewed, quantitative studies that observed the determinants of patient use or satisfaction with synchronous telemental health services during the COVID-19 pandemic were included. PubMed, PsycInfo, and Web of Science database searches were conducted in August 2022 for English and German language studies published from 2020 onward. Key steps were performed by 2 reviewers. Determinants were synthesized into major categories informed by the dimensions of the widely used and established Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology.ResultsOf the 20 included studies, 10 studies examined determinants of patient use, 7 examined determinants of patient satisfaction, and 3 observed both outcomes. The quality of the studies was mainly good or fair. There was substantial heterogeneity in the study designs, methods, and findings. Sociodemographic characteristics and health-related determinants were mostly considered. Some of the major dimensions of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology were neglected in recent studies. Although most findings were mixed or nonsignificant, some indications for potential relationships were found (eg, for sex, age, and symptom severity).ConclusionsThe findings revealed potential target groups (eg, female and young patients with mild symptoms) for future postpandemic telemental health interventions. However, they also identified patient groups that were harder to reach (eg, older patients with severe symptoms); efforts may be beneficial to address such groups. Future quantitative and qualitative research is needed to secure and expand on recent findings, which could help improve services.Trial registrationPROSPERO CRD42022351576; https://tinyurl.com/yr6zrva5.

Project description:BackgroundThe COVID-19 novel coronavirus closed oral health care in Nova Scotia (NS) Canada in March 2020. Preparing for a phased reopening, a knowledge exchange coalition (representing government, academia, hospitals, oral health professions, and regulators) developed return-to-work (RTW) guidelines detailing the augmentation of standard practices to ensure safety for patients, oral health care providers (OHPs), and the community. Using online surveys, this study explored the influence of the RTW guidelines and related education on registered NS OHPs during a phased return to work.MethodsDissemination of R2W guidelines included website or email communiques and interdisciplinary education webinars that coincided with 2 RTW phases approved by the government. Aligned with each phase, all registered dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants were invited to complete an online survey to gauge the influence of the coalition-sponsored education and RTW guidelines, confidence, preparedness, and personal protective equipment use before and after the pandemic.ResultsThree coalition-sponsored multidisciplinary webinars hosted 3541 attendees prior to RTW. The response to survey 1 was 41% (881/2156) and to survey 2 was 26% (571/2177) of registrants. Survey 1 (82%) and survey 2 (89%) respondents "agreed/strongly agreed" that R2W guidelines were a primary source for guiding return to practice, and most were confident with education received and had the skills needed to effectively treat patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Confidence and preparedness improved in survey 2. Gowns/lab coat use for aerosol-generating procedures increased from 26% to 93%, and the use of full face shields rose from 6% to 93% during the pandemic.ConclusionsA multistakeholder coalition was effective in establishing and communicating comprehensive guidelines and web-based education to ensure unified reintegration of oral health services in NS during a pandemic. This multiorganizational cooperation lay the foundation for responses to subsequent waves of COVID-19 and may serve as an example for collaboratively responding to future public health threats in other settings.Knowledge transfer statementThe return-to-work strategy that was developed, disseminated, and assessed through this COVID-19 knowledge exchange coalition will benefit oral health practitioners, professional regulators, government policy makers, and researchers in future pandemic planning.

Dataset Information

Accessibility to Non-COVID Health Services in the World During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Review.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets