Care by general practitioners for patients with asthma or COPD during the COVID-19 pandemic
Abstract The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on general practitioners’ (GP) care for patients with asthma and/or COPD is largely unknown. To describe the impact of the pandemic on asthma or COPD-related GP care, we analysed routinely recorded electronic health records data from Dutch general practic...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2023-04-01
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| Series: | npj Primary Care Respiratory Medicine |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41533-023-00340-z |
| _version_ | 1797850158595047424 |
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| author | Corinne Rijpkema Lotte Ramerman Maarten Homburg Eline Meijer Jean Muris Tim olde Hartman Marjolein Berger Lilian Peters Robert Verheij |
| author_facet | Corinne Rijpkema Lotte Ramerman Maarten Homburg Eline Meijer Jean Muris Tim olde Hartman Marjolein Berger Lilian Peters Robert Verheij |
| author_sort | Corinne Rijpkema |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on general practitioners’ (GP) care for patients with asthma and/or COPD is largely unknown. To describe the impact of the pandemic on asthma or COPD-related GP care, we analysed routinely recorded electronic health records data from Dutch general practices and out-of-hours (OOH) services. During the COVID-19 pandemic (2020), the contact rates for asthma and/or COPD were significantly lower in GP practices and OOH services compared with the pre-pandemic period (2019) (respectively, 15% lower and 28% lower). The proportion of telephone contacts increased significantly with 13%-point in GP practices and 12%-point at OOH services, while the proportion of face-to-face contacts decreased. Furthermore, the proportion of high urgent contacts with OOH services decreased by 8.5%-point. To conclude, the overall contact rates in GP practices and OOH services decreased, while more contacts were remote. Lower contact rates have, after a short follow-up, not resulted in more patients with exacerbations in OOH care. However, this might still be expected after a longer follow-up. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T18:56:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-47891c852b3842b3a300b821822cd4f9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2055-1010 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T18:56:58Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Primary Care Respiratory Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-47891c852b3842b3a300b821822cd4f92023-04-09T11:08:20ZengNature Portfolionpj Primary Care Respiratory Medicine2055-10102023-04-013311910.1038/s41533-023-00340-zCare by general practitioners for patients with asthma or COPD during the COVID-19 pandemicCorinne Rijpkema0Lotte Ramerman1Maarten Homburg2Eline Meijer3Jean Muris4Tim olde Hartman5Marjolein Berger6Lilian Peters7Robert Verheij8Nivel, Netherlands Institute for Health Services ResearchNivel, Netherlands Institute for Health Services ResearchDepartment of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine, UMCG, University Medical Centre GroningenDepartment of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine, UMCG, University Medical Centre GroningenDepartment of Family Medicine, CAPHRI Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht UniversityRadboud Institute of Health Sciences, Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical CentreDepartment of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine, UMCG, University Medical Centre GroningenDepartment of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine, UMCG, University Medical Centre GroningenNivel, Netherlands Institute for Health Services ResearchAbstract The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on general practitioners’ (GP) care for patients with asthma and/or COPD is largely unknown. To describe the impact of the pandemic on asthma or COPD-related GP care, we analysed routinely recorded electronic health records data from Dutch general practices and out-of-hours (OOH) services. During the COVID-19 pandemic (2020), the contact rates for asthma and/or COPD were significantly lower in GP practices and OOH services compared with the pre-pandemic period (2019) (respectively, 15% lower and 28% lower). The proportion of telephone contacts increased significantly with 13%-point in GP practices and 12%-point at OOH services, while the proportion of face-to-face contacts decreased. Furthermore, the proportion of high urgent contacts with OOH services decreased by 8.5%-point. To conclude, the overall contact rates in GP practices and OOH services decreased, while more contacts were remote. Lower contact rates have, after a short follow-up, not resulted in more patients with exacerbations in OOH care. However, this might still be expected after a longer follow-up.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41533-023-00340-z |
| spellingShingle | Corinne Rijpkema Lotte Ramerman Maarten Homburg Eline Meijer Jean Muris Tim olde Hartman Marjolein Berger Lilian Peters Robert Verheij Care by general practitioners for patients with asthma or COPD during the COVID-19 pandemic npj Primary Care Respiratory Medicine |
| title | Care by general practitioners for patients with asthma or COPD during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full | Care by general practitioners for patients with asthma or COPD during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Care by general practitioners for patients with asthma or COPD during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Care by general practitioners for patients with asthma or COPD during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_short | Care by general practitioners for patients with asthma or COPD during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_sort | care by general practitioners for patients with asthma or copd during the covid 19 pandemic |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41533-023-00340-z |
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