Healthcare use in primary care during the corona pandemic: a national population study from the perspective of the patient and the healthcare provider

Our research shows that 1 in 5 people with complaints avoided care during the first lockdown of the corona pandemic. This often concerned vulnerable people with immediate complaints such as chest pain, paralysis of an arm or leg or complaints that made people think they were cancer. These people may have been seen by a healthcare provider later or not at all. This raises the question of whether avoidance of care has led to damage to health. We show that this was indeed the case. A third of all people with a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) or stroke did not contact a doctor in that first lockdown, while people with a heart attack did find their way to care. We conclude from this that access to care has changed during the pandemic. People mainly sought less help for complaints that they find difficult to explain, such as those of a stroke. This research underlines the importance of accessible care, even during a pandemic. In particular, attention should be paid to better recognition of the symptoms of a stroke. Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, people have started avoiding healthcare. In addition, the healthcare capacity has changed due to the measures. Decreases in the use of (regular) primary care can lead to damage to health, for example due to late-diagnosed or untreated cardiovascular diseases or oncological conditions Vlog and blog In the vlog below, the researchers tell more about their research. They also tell more about this special research in this blog.