Associations of the COVID-19 pandemic with older individuals’ healthcare utilization and self-reported health status: a longitudinal analysis from Singapore
Abstract Background The COVID–19 pandemic has challenged the capacity of healthcare systems around the world and can potentially compromise healthcare utilization and health outcomes among non-COVID–19 patients. Objectives To examine the associations of the COVID-19 pandemic with healthcare utilizat...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2022-01-01
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| Series: | BMC Health Services Research |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-07446-5 |
| _version_ | 1798026236310585344 |
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| author | SangNam Ahn Seonghoon Kim Kanghyock Koh |
| author_facet | SangNam Ahn Seonghoon Kim Kanghyock Koh |
| author_sort | SangNam Ahn |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The COVID–19 pandemic has challenged the capacity of healthcare systems around the world and can potentially compromise healthcare utilization and health outcomes among non-COVID–19 patients. Objectives To examine the associations of the COVID-19 pandemic with healthcare utilization, out-of-pocket medical costs, and perceived health among middle-aged and older individuals in Singapore. Method Utilizing data collected from a monthly panel survey, a difference-in-differences approach was used to characterize monthly changes of healthcare use and spending and estimate the probability of being diagnosed with a chronic condition and self-reported health status before and during the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020. Subjects Data were analyzed from 7569 nationally representative individuals from 2019 January and 2020 December. Measures Healthcare utilization and healthcare spending by medical service categories as well as self-reported health status. Results Between January and April 2020 (the first peak period of COVID-19 in Singapore), doctor visits decreased by 30%, and out-of-pocket medical spending decreased by 23%, mostly driven by reductions in inpatient and outpatient care. As a result, the probability of any diagnosis of chronic conditions decreased by 19% in April 2020. The decreased healthcare utilization and spending recovered after lifting the national lockdown in June, 2020 and remained similar to the pre-pandemic level through the rest of 2020. Conclusions Middle-aged and older Singaporeans’ healthcare utilization and the diagnosis of chronic conditions substantially decreased during the first peak period of the COVID-19 outbreak. Further studies to track the longer-term health effect of the pandemic among non-COVID-19 patients are warranted. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T18:33:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6e81304ba65949238ee8ddc19ac47c3e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6963 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T18:33:07Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Health Services Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-6e81304ba65949238ee8ddc19ac47c3e2022-12-22T04:09:23ZengBMCBMC Health Services Research1472-69632022-01-012211810.1186/s12913-021-07446-5Associations of the COVID-19 pandemic with older individuals’ healthcare utilization and self-reported health status: a longitudinal analysis from SingaporeSangNam Ahn0Seonghoon Kim1Kanghyock Koh2School of Public Health, University of MemphisSchool of Economics, Singapore Management UniversityDepartment of Economics, Korea UniversityAbstract Background The COVID–19 pandemic has challenged the capacity of healthcare systems around the world and can potentially compromise healthcare utilization and health outcomes among non-COVID–19 patients. Objectives To examine the associations of the COVID-19 pandemic with healthcare utilization, out-of-pocket medical costs, and perceived health among middle-aged and older individuals in Singapore. Method Utilizing data collected from a monthly panel survey, a difference-in-differences approach was used to characterize monthly changes of healthcare use and spending and estimate the probability of being diagnosed with a chronic condition and self-reported health status before and during the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020. Subjects Data were analyzed from 7569 nationally representative individuals from 2019 January and 2020 December. Measures Healthcare utilization and healthcare spending by medical service categories as well as self-reported health status. Results Between January and April 2020 (the first peak period of COVID-19 in Singapore), doctor visits decreased by 30%, and out-of-pocket medical spending decreased by 23%, mostly driven by reductions in inpatient and outpatient care. As a result, the probability of any diagnosis of chronic conditions decreased by 19% in April 2020. The decreased healthcare utilization and spending recovered after lifting the national lockdown in June, 2020 and remained similar to the pre-pandemic level through the rest of 2020. Conclusions Middle-aged and older Singaporeans’ healthcare utilization and the diagnosis of chronic conditions substantially decreased during the first peak period of the COVID-19 outbreak. Further studies to track the longer-term health effect of the pandemic among non-COVID-19 patients are warranted.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-07446-5COVID–19PandemicHealthcare utilizationHealthcare spendingSelf-reported health status |
| spellingShingle | SangNam Ahn Seonghoon Kim Kanghyock Koh Associations of the COVID-19 pandemic with older individuals’ healthcare utilization and self-reported health status: a longitudinal analysis from Singapore BMC Health Services Research COVID–19 Pandemic Healthcare utilization Healthcare spending Self-reported health status |
| title | Associations of the COVID-19 pandemic with older individuals’ healthcare utilization and self-reported health status: a longitudinal analysis from Singapore |
| title_full | Associations of the COVID-19 pandemic with older individuals’ healthcare utilization and self-reported health status: a longitudinal analysis from Singapore |
| title_fullStr | Associations of the COVID-19 pandemic with older individuals’ healthcare utilization and self-reported health status: a longitudinal analysis from Singapore |
| title_full_unstemmed | Associations of the COVID-19 pandemic with older individuals’ healthcare utilization and self-reported health status: a longitudinal analysis from Singapore |
| title_short | Associations of the COVID-19 pandemic with older individuals’ healthcare utilization and self-reported health status: a longitudinal analysis from Singapore |
| title_sort | associations of the covid 19 pandemic with older individuals healthcare utilization and self reported health status a longitudinal analysis from singapore |
| topic | COVID–19 Pandemic Healthcare utilization Healthcare spending Self-reported health status |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-07446-5 |
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