A longitudinal cohort study on the use of health and care services by older adults living at home with/without dementia before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: the HUNT study
Abstract Background Older adults and people with dementia were anticipated to be particularly unable to use health and care services during the lockdown period following the COVID-19 pandemic. To better prepare for future pandemics, we aimed to investigate whether the use of health and care services...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2024-04-01
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| Series: | BMC Health Services Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-10846-y |
| _version_ | 1797199581951295488 |
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| author | Tanja Louise Ibsen Bjørn Heine Strand Sverre Bergh Gill Livingston Hilde Lurås Svenn-Erik Mamelund Richard Oude Voshaar Anne Marie Mork Rokstad Pernille Thingstad Debby Gerritsen Geir Selbæk |
| author_facet | Tanja Louise Ibsen Bjørn Heine Strand Sverre Bergh Gill Livingston Hilde Lurås Svenn-Erik Mamelund Richard Oude Voshaar Anne Marie Mork Rokstad Pernille Thingstad Debby Gerritsen Geir Selbæk |
| author_sort | Tanja Louise Ibsen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Older adults and people with dementia were anticipated to be particularly unable to use health and care services during the lockdown period following the COVID-19 pandemic. To better prepare for future pandemics, we aimed to investigate whether the use of health and care services changed during the pandemic and whether those at older ages and/or dementia experienced a higher degree of change than that observed by their counterparts. Methods Data from the Norwegian Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT4 70 + , 2017–2019) were linked to two national health registries that have individual-level data on the use of primary and specialist health and care services. A multilevel mixed-effects linear regression model was used to calculate changes in the use of services from 18 months before the lockdown, (12 March 2020) to 18 months after the lockdown. Results The study sample included 10,607 participants, 54% were women and 11% had dementia. The mean age was 76 years (SD: 5.7, range: 68–102 years). A decrease in primary health and care service use, except for contact with general practitioners (GPs), was observed during the lockdown period for people with dementia (p < 0.001) and those aged ≥ 80 years without dementia (p = 0.006), compared to the 6-month period before the lockdown. The use of specialist health services decreased during the lockdown period for all groups (p ≤ 0.011), except for those aged < 80 years with dementia. Service use reached levels comparable to pre-pandemic data within one year after the lockdown. Conclusion Older adults experienced an immediate reduction in the use of health and care services, other than GP contacts, during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Within primary care services, people with dementia demonstrated a more pronounced reduction than that observed in people without dementia; otherwise, the variations related to age and dementia status were small. Both groups returned to services levels similar to those during the pre-pandemic period within one year after the lockdown. The increase in GP contacts may indicate a need to reallocate resources to primary health services during future pandemics. Trial registration The study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, with the identification number NCT 04792086. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T07:18:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fe31c4733e274543bbc6daadb63b2291 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6963 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T07:18:02Z |
| publishDate | 2024-04-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Health Services Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-fe31c4733e274543bbc6daadb63b22912024-04-21T11:13:12ZengBMCBMC Health Services Research1472-69632024-04-0124111110.1186/s12913-024-10846-yA longitudinal cohort study on the use of health and care services by older adults living at home with/without dementia before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: the HUNT studyTanja Louise Ibsen0Bjørn Heine Strand1Sverre Bergh2Gill Livingston3Hilde Lurås4Svenn-Erik Mamelund5Richard Oude Voshaar6Anne Marie Mork Rokstad7Pernille Thingstad8Debby Gerritsen9Geir Selbæk10The Norwegian National Centre for Ageing and Health (Ageing and Health), Vestfold Hospital TrustThe Norwegian National Centre for Ageing and Health (Ageing and Health), Vestfold Hospital TrustThe Norwegian National Centre for Ageing and Health (Ageing and Health), Vestfold Hospital TrustDivision of Psychiatry, University College LondonHealth Services Research Unit, Akershus University HospitalCentre for Research On Pandemics & Society (PANSOC), at Oslo Metropolitan UniversityDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Groningen, University Medical Center GroningenThe Norwegian National Centre for Ageing and Health (Ageing and Health), Vestfold Hospital TrustDepartment of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Norwegian University of Science and TechnologyDepartment of Primary and Community Care, Research Institute for Medical Innovation, Radboudumc Alzheimer Center, Radboud University Medical CenterThe Norwegian National Centre for Ageing and Health (Ageing and Health), Vestfold Hospital TrustAbstract Background Older adults and people with dementia were anticipated to be particularly unable to use health and care services during the lockdown period following the COVID-19 pandemic. To better prepare for future pandemics, we aimed to investigate whether the use of health and care services changed during the pandemic and whether those at older ages and/or dementia experienced a higher degree of change than that observed by their counterparts. Methods Data from the Norwegian Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT4 70 + , 2017–2019) were linked to two national health registries that have individual-level data on the use of primary and specialist health and care services. A multilevel mixed-effects linear regression model was used to calculate changes in the use of services from 18 months before the lockdown, (12 March 2020) to 18 months after the lockdown. Results The study sample included 10,607 participants, 54% were women and 11% had dementia. The mean age was 76 years (SD: 5.7, range: 68–102 years). A decrease in primary health and care service use, except for contact with general practitioners (GPs), was observed during the lockdown period for people with dementia (p < 0.001) and those aged ≥ 80 years without dementia (p = 0.006), compared to the 6-month period before the lockdown. The use of specialist health services decreased during the lockdown period for all groups (p ≤ 0.011), except for those aged < 80 years with dementia. Service use reached levels comparable to pre-pandemic data within one year after the lockdown. Conclusion Older adults experienced an immediate reduction in the use of health and care services, other than GP contacts, during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Within primary care services, people with dementia demonstrated a more pronounced reduction than that observed in people without dementia; otherwise, the variations related to age and dementia status were small. Both groups returned to services levels similar to those during the pre-pandemic period within one year after the lockdown. The increase in GP contacts may indicate a need to reallocate resources to primary health services during future pandemics. Trial registration The study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, with the identification number NCT 04792086.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-10846-yCOVID-19DementiaHealth care servicesOlder adultsLongitudinal cohort study |
| spellingShingle | Tanja Louise Ibsen Bjørn Heine Strand Sverre Bergh Gill Livingston Hilde Lurås Svenn-Erik Mamelund Richard Oude Voshaar Anne Marie Mork Rokstad Pernille Thingstad Debby Gerritsen Geir Selbæk A longitudinal cohort study on the use of health and care services by older adults living at home with/without dementia before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: the HUNT study BMC Health Services Research COVID-19 Dementia Health care services Older adults Longitudinal cohort study |
| title | A longitudinal cohort study on the use of health and care services by older adults living at home with/without dementia before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: the HUNT study |
| title_full | A longitudinal cohort study on the use of health and care services by older adults living at home with/without dementia before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: the HUNT study |
| title_fullStr | A longitudinal cohort study on the use of health and care services by older adults living at home with/without dementia before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: the HUNT study |
| title_full_unstemmed | A longitudinal cohort study on the use of health and care services by older adults living at home with/without dementia before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: the HUNT study |
| title_short | A longitudinal cohort study on the use of health and care services by older adults living at home with/without dementia before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: the HUNT study |
| title_sort | longitudinal cohort study on the use of health and care services by older adults living at home with without dementia before and during the covid 19 pandemic the hunt study |
| topic | COVID-19 Dementia Health care services Older adults Longitudinal cohort study |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-10846-y |
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