Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40087645›Full record

ArticleBMC cancer2025

Comparative inpatient care of cancer vs. non-cancer patients in Switzerland during the national COVID-19 lockdown: a nationwide interrupted time series analysis.

Loïc Brunner, Anna Nicolet, Isabelle Peytremann-Bridevaux, Joachim Marti, Jean-Luc Bulliard, Lorenzo Righi, Christian Britschgi, Andreas Wicki, Christine Bienvenu, Ursula Ganz-Blaettler and 4 more

Abstract readComparative Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Observational
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Loïc BrunnerDepartment of Epidemiology and Health Systems, Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. loic.brunner@unisante.ch.
Anna NicoletDepartment of Epidemiology and Health Systems, Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Isabelle Peytremann-BridevauxDepartment of Epidemiology and Health Systems, Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Joachim MartiDepartment of Epidemiology and Health Systems, Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Jean-Luc BulliardDepartment of Epidemiology and Health Systems, Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Lorenzo RighiDepartment of Epidemiology and Health Systems, Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Christian BritschgiMedical Oncology and Hematology, Cantonal Hospital Winterthur, Winterthur, Switzerland.
Andreas WickiUniversity of Zurich and University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Christine BienvenuHaute Ecole Arc, Jura, Switzerland.
Ursula Ganz-BlaettlerSAKK Patient Advocacy Board, Berne, Switzerland.
Manuela EicherFaculty of Biology and Medicine, Instiitute of Higher Education and Research in Healthcare, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Olivier MichielinDepartment of Oncology, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland.
Karine Moschetti *Department of Epidemiology and Health Systems, Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Marie-Annick Le Pogam *Department of Epidemiology and Health Systems, Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.

Funding

Swiss Cancer Research Foundation HSR-5225-11-2020
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic exerted unprecedented pressure on healthcare systems worldwide, leading governments and hospitals to postpone elective procedures to prioritize care for COVID-19 patients. Cancer patients, who often require frequent interactions with hospital services, may have been disproportionately affected by these disuptions in healthcare delivery. This study aimed to analyze and compare hospital care provided to cancer and non-cancer inpatients during the lockdown and post-lockdown periods in Switzerland.

methodsThis study analyzed comprehensive adult acute care inpatient records from national administrative hospital data spanning 2017 to 2021. Using monthly patient-level data, comparative interrupted time series and difference-in-differences analysis were conducted to assess changes in hospital care between patients with and without an ICD-10 cancer diagnosis. Changes in admission volumes, hospital outcomes (length of stay, mortality), and cancer-specific treatments (chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and palliative care) during the lockdown and post-lockdown phases of the pandemic were analyzed.

resultsHospital admissions decreased substantially during the lockdown period. From March to May 2020, non-cancer patients experienced a reduction of 17'368 admissions (-18%) (95% CI [-24'333, -10'402]), compared with a reduction of 966 admissions (-9%) (95% CI [-1'636, -296]) for cancer patients. However, despite reduction in admissions, cancer inpatients received critical treatments at rates that were no lower for chemotherapy, and 6% (95% CI [1, 12]) and 15.2% (95% CI [10; 20]) higher for radiation therapy and palliative care, respectively, during the lockdown period compared to pre-pandemic levels. The mortality rate for both groups increased during the lockdown, but the rise was 22% (95% CI [8, 32]) smaller for cancer patients compared to non-cancer patients. The length of stay increased for both groups during the lockdown. However, the difference in length of stay between cancer and non-cancer patients vanished during the lockdown, with a higher length of stay of only 0.06 days (95% CI [-0.05, 0.18]) for cancer patients, compared to 0.40 days (95% CI [0.37, 0.43]) before the lockdown.

conclusionSwiss hospitals were able to maintain access to cancer services during the pandemic, mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 crisis for cancer population. These findings contribute to highlight the resilience of healthcare systems and understand decision-making processes during public health emergencies. However, long-term consequences of reduced care for cancer patients warrants further investigation.

Indexed as

COVID-19HospitalizationNeoplasmsAdultAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansInpatientsInterrupted Time Series AnalysisLength of StayMaleMiddle AgedPandemicsSARS-CoV-2SwitzerlandAdministrative dataCancerChemotherapyComparative Time SeriesCovid-19HospitalICD-10Interrupted Time Series AnalysisLockdownRadiation therapyRoutinely-Collected Health DataSwitzerland

Identifiers

PMID40087645
PMCPMC11909892

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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.