ArticleDisaster medicine and public health preparedness2022
Reduced Emergency Department Utilization During the Early Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Viral Fear or Lockdown Effect?
Article in Disaster medicine and public health preparedness, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 61 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
61 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Pooled it
- The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Diagnosis, Treatment, and Survival of Lung Cancer Patients in Thailand from 2019-2021.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Pediatrics Primary Healthcare Visits in a University Based Family and Community Medicine Center in Saudi Arabia.Medical archives (Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina) · 2026Article
- Traumatic spinal cord injury: A four-year study in Puerto Rico.The journal of spinal cord medicine · 2025Article
- Effect of COVID-19 and other determinants on the reduction of non-urgent emergency department access in North-East Italy: does supply affect demand?Research in health services & regions · 2025Article
- Trends in Emergency Department, Primary Care, and Behavioral Health Use for Pediatric Mental Health Conditions in Virginia before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.BMC primary care · 2025Article
- Back to normal? A retrospective study on stimulation test and endocrinological diagnosis before, during and after COVID-19 pandemics.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2025Article
- Impact of COVID-19 on emergency department visits for individuals with psychotic disorders in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada: A longitudinal study.PLOS global public health · 2025Article
- Psychiatric crises among youth with a history of trauma during COVID-19: A retrospective study of psychiatrically hospitalized children and adolescents.Child abuse & neglect · 2024Article
- Benefits of emergency department routine blood test performance on patients whose allocated triage category is not time critical: a retrospective study.BMC health services research · 2024Observational
- Area-Level Social Vulnerability and Severe COVID-19: A Case-Control Study Using Electronic Health Records from Multiple Health Systems in the Southeastern Pennsylvania Region.Journal of urban health : bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine · 2024Article
- Primary care gatekeeping during the COVID-19 pandemic: a survey of 1234 Norwegian regular GPs.BJGP open · 2024Article
- Acute care pathway assessed through performance indicators during the COVID-19 pandemic in OECD countries (2020-2021): a scoping review.BMC emergency medicine · 2024Article
- Article
- Article
- Have Chest Imaging Habits Changed in the Emergency Department after the Pandemic?Tomography (Ann Arbor, Mich.) · 2023Article
- Evaluating the Patient Boarding during Omicron Surge in Hong Kong: Time Series Analysis.Journal of medical systems · 2023Article
- [Changes in the provision of primary care and psychotherapy in Germany during the first two lockdowns in 2020 and 2021: A two-wave survey giving consideration to gender identity and sexual orientation].Zeitschrift fur Evidenz, Fortbildung und Qualitat im Gesundheitswesen · 2023Article
- The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Hospitalization Rates due to Prosthetic Valve Thrombosis.The journal of Tehran Heart Center · 2023Article
- Overcoming Language Barriers in Paramedic Care With an App Designed to Improve Communication With Foreign-Language Patients: Nonrandomized Controlled Pilot Study.JMIR formative research · 2023Article
1 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveSince the beginning of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, several frontline workers have expressed their concerns about reduced emergency department (ED) utilization. We aimed to examine the changes in ED utilization during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, in a country with a well-developed primary care system.
methodsA retrospective analysis of ED utilization was performed in 3 Dutch hospitals during a 60-day period, starting on February 15, 2020. The identical period in 2019 was used as a reference. ED visits were labeled as COVID-related (defined as COVID-19 suspected) or non-COVID-related. Admission rates were compared using chi-square tests, and the reduction in ED visits was assessed descriptively.
resultsDuring the study period, daily ED volume was 18% lower compared to that of 2019. ED utilization further declined (-29%) during lockdown. Combined admission rates were higher in 2020 compared to those in 2019 (P < 0.001), and they were higher for COVID-19 versus non-COVID-19 ED visits (P < 0.001).
conclusionsED utilization was markedly reduced during the local rise of COVID-19 in a region with a well-developed primary care system and relatively low ED self-referral rates. Although it cannot directly be concluded from the findings of our study, this observation likely reflects a complex interaction between pure lockdown effects and viral fear, which warrants further research.
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