Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38074705›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in public health2023

Applying Andersen's healthcare utilization model to assess factors influencing patients' expectations for diagnostic tests at emergency department visits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Zhilian Huang, Karthiga Natarajan, Hoon Chin Lim, Yanyi Weng, Hann Yee Tan, Eillyne Seow, Li Lee Peng, Jing Teng Ow, Win Sen Kuan, Angela Chow

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Article in Frontiers in public health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Zhilian HuangInfectious Diseases Research and Training Office, National Centre for Infectious Diseases, Singapore, Singapore.
Karthiga NatarajanInfectious Diseases Research and Training Office, National Centre for Infectious Diseases, Singapore, Singapore.
Hoon Chin LimDepartment of Accident and Emergency, Changi General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
Yanyi WengDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
Hann Yee TanDepartment of Acute and Emergency Care, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
Eillyne SeowDepartment of Acute and Emergency Care, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
Li Lee PengDepartment of Emergency Medicine, National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
Jing Teng OwInfectious Diseases Research and Training Office, National Centre for Infectious Diseases, Singapore, Singapore.
Win Sen KuanDepartment of Emergency Medicine, National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
Angela ChowInfectious Diseases Research and Training Office, National Centre for Infectious Diseases, Singapore, Singapore.

Funding

Medical Research Council
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: The uncertainties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic led to a surge in non-urgent emergency department (ED) attendance among people presenting with upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) symptoms. These non-urgent visits, often manageable in primary care, exacerbated ED overcrowding, which could compromise the quality of ED services. Understanding patients' expectations and the reasons for these ED visits is imperative to mitigate the problem of ED overcrowding. Hence, we assessed the factors influencing patients' expectations for diagnostic tests during their ED visits for uncomplicated URTI during different phases of the pandemic. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study on adults with URTI symptoms seeking care at four public EDs in Singapore between March 2021 and March 2022. We segmented the study period into three COVID-19 pandemic phases-containment, transition, and mitigation. The outcome variables are whether patients expected (1) a COVID-19-specific diagnostic test, (2) a non-COVID-19-specific diagnostic test, (3) both COVID-19-specific and non-COVID-19-specific diagnostic tests, or (4) no diagnostic test. We built a multinomial regression model with backward stepwise selection and classified the findings according to Andersen's healthcare utilization model. Results: The mean age of participants was 34.5 (12.7) years. Factors (adjusted odds ratio [95% confidence interval]) influencing expectations for a COVID-19-specific diagnostic test in the ED include younger age {21-40 years: (2.98 [1.04-8.55])}, no prior clinical consultation (2.10 [1.13-3.89]), adherence to employer's health policy (3.70 [1.79-7.67]), perceived non-severity of illness (2.50 [1.39-4.55]), being worried about contracting COVID-19 (2.29 [1.11-4.69]), and during the transition phase of the pandemic (2.29 [1.15-4.56]). Being non-employed influenced the expectation for non-COVID-19-specific diagnostic tests (3.83 [1.26-11.66]). Factors influencing expectations for both COVID-19-specific and non-COVID-19-specific tests include younger age {21-40 years: (3.61 [1.26-10.38]); 41-60 years: (4.49 [1.43-14.13])}, adherence to employer's health policy (2.94 [1.41-6.14]), being worried about contracting COVID-19 (2.95 [1.45- 5.99]), and during the transition (2.03 [1.02-4.06]) and mitigation (2.02 [1.03-3.97]) phases of the pandemic. Conclusion: Patients' expectations for diagnostic tests during ED visits for uncomplicated URTI were dynamic across the COVID-19 pandemic phases. Expectations for COVID-19-specific diagnostic tests for ED visits for uncomplicated URTI were higher among younger individuals and those worried about contracting COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future studies are required to enhance public communications on the availability of diagnostic services in primary care and public education on self-management of emerging infectious diseases such as COVID-19.

Indexed as

COVID-19AdultCOVID-19 TestingCross-Sectional StudiesDiagnostic Tests, RoutineEmergency Service, HospitalHumansMotivationPandemicsPatient Acceptance of Health CareYoung AdultCOVID-19diagnostic servicesemergency department (ED) utilizationemergency medicinepandemic (COVID-19)upper respiratory tract infection (URTI)

Identifiers

PMID38074705
PMCPMC10701756

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LicenceCC BY
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.