Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic and Strategies for Resumption of Activities During the Second Wave of the Pandemic: A Report From Eight Paediatric Hospitals From the ECHO Network

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic impacted the organization of paediatric hospitals. This study aimed to evaluate the preparedness for the pandemic among a European network of children's hospitals and to explore the strategies to restart health care services. A cross-sectional, web-based survey was distributed in May 2020 to the 13 children's tertiary care hospitals belonging to the European Children's Hospitals Organisation. Responses were obtained from eight hospitals (62%). Significant reductions were observed in accesses to the emergency departments (41.7%), outpatient visits (35.7%), intensive and non-intensive care unit inpatient admissions (16.4 and 13%, respectively) between February 1 and April 30, 2020 as compared with the same period of 2019. Overall, 93 children with SARS CoV-2 infection were admitted to inpatient wards. All the hospitals created SARS-CoV-2 preparedness plans for the diagnosis and management of infected patients. Routine activities were re-scheduled. Four hospitals shared their own staff with adult units, two designated bed spaces for adults and only one admitted adults to inpatient wards. The three main components for the resumption of clinical activities were testing, source control, and reorganization of spaces and flows. Telemedicine and telehealth services were used before the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic by three hospitals and by all the hospitals during it.Conclusion: The present study provides a perspective on preparedness to SARS-CoV-2 pandemic among eight large European children's hospitals, on the impact of the pandemic on the hospital activities and on the strategies adopted to restart clinical activities.

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Impact of COVID-19 and mitigation plans on essential health services: institutional experience of a hospital in Ethiopia

BMC Health Services Research ◽

10.1186/s12913-021-07106-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Firaol Dandena ◽

Berhanetsehay Teklewold ◽

Dagmawi Anteneh

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Services ◽

Health Care Services ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Vital Role ◽

Treatment Center ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Poor Countries ◽

Care Services ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Health systems around the world are being challenged by an on-going COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic and associated response can have a significant downstream effect on access to routine health care services, and indirectly cause morbidity and mortality from causes other than the disease itself, especially in resource-poor countries such as Ethiopia. This study aimed to explore the impact of the pandemic on these services and measures taken to combat the effect. Methods The study was conducted at St. Paul’s hospital millennium medical college (SPHMMC) from December 15, 2020 to January 15, 2021 using a comparative cross-sectional study design. We collected data on the number of clients getting different essential health care services from May to October 2019 (Pre COVID) and the same period in 2020 (during a COVID-19 pandemic) from the patient registry book. The analysis was done with SPSS version 24 software. Result Overall, the essential services of SPHMMC were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The most affected service is inpatient admission, which showed a 73.3% (2044 to 682) reduction from the pre-COVID period and the least affected is maternal service, which only decreased by 13% (3671 to 3177). During the 6 months after the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a progressive increment in the number of clients getting essential health services. Conclusion and recommendation The establishment of a triple setup for fighting against COVID-19, which encompasses non-COVID services, an isolation center and a COVID-19 treatment center, played a vital role in preserving essential health services.

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The Impact of Community Based Health Insurance in Enhancing Better Accessibility and Lowering the Chance of Having Financial Catastrophe Due to Health Service Utilization

International Journal of Health Services ◽

10.1177/0020731415595609 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 47 (3) ◽

pp. 504-518 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Somdeth Bodhisane ◽

Sathirakorn Pongpanich

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Insurance ◽

Household Income ◽

Health Care Services ◽

Lower Probability ◽

Community Based ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Community Based Health Insurance ◽

Care Services ◽

The Impact

The Lao population mostly relies on out-of-pocket expenditures for health care services. This study aims to determine the role of community-based health insurance in making health care services accessible and in preventing financial catastrophe resulting from personal payment for inpatient services. A cross-sectional study design was applied. Data collection involved 126 insured and 126 uninsured households in identical study sites. Two logistic regression models were used to predict and compare the probability of hospitalization and financial catastrophe that occurred in both insured and uninsured households within the previous year. The findings show that insurance status does not significantly improve accessibility and financial protection against catastrophic expenditure. The reason is relatively simple, as catastrophic health expenditure refers to a total out-of-pocket payment equal to or more than 40% of household income minus subsistence. When household income declines as a result of inability to work due to illness, the 40% threshold is quickly reached. Despite this, results suggest that insured households are not significantly better off under community-based health insurance. However, compared to uninsured households, insured households do have better accessibility and a lower probability of reaching the financial catastrophe threshold.

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The Impact of the First Wave of Covid 19 on Orthopaedic Surgeries in a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital

Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International ◽

10.9734/jpri/2021/v33i48b33265 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 95-100

Author(s):

B. Jagadeesh ◽

N. Adhishwar Kumaran ◽

K. Gunalan ◽

K. Midhuna ◽

S. Natarajan

Keyword(s):

Hospital Stay ◽

Health Care Services ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Healthcare Personnel ◽

Orthopaedic Department ◽

Duration Of Hospital Stay ◽

Care Services ◽

Global Pandemic ◽

The Cost ◽

The Impact

Background: The Covid 19 was declared a global pandemic that had a sizeable impact on the health care services in the surgical field including the orthopaedic department. There was additionally a decreased accessibility to healthcare personnel and facilities reallocated to manage the Covid patients. The study was mainly conducted to find out the impact of the first wave of COVID-19 on the orthopaedic surgeries. Aim: The main aim of the study is to find out the alteration in the number, type of surgeries, financial implications, duration of hospital stay, delay in surgery during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Study Design: Retrospective crossectional study. Methods: All the surgeries conducted in the orthopaedic department in the year 2019 and 2020 following first peak in March including pre-op and post-op COVID cases are included in the study. The procedure conducted, date of admission, date of surgery, date of discharge, investigations done and the cost expenses are the various parameters that are taken into consideration. The results are analysed for each year and comparisons are made using statistical methods. Results: The comparative analysis of the data collected from the years 2019 and 2020 showed an increase in the duration of hospital stay, delay in surgery, additional expenditure, back log in the number of elective surgeries done during the Pandemic.

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Patients’ Perceptions of Barriers and Facilitators to the Adoption of E-Hospitals: Cross-Sectional Study in Western China

Journal of Medical Internet Research ◽

10.2196/17221 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 22 (6) ◽

pp. e17221 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Peiyi Li ◽

Yunmei Luo ◽

Xuexin Yu ◽

Jin Wen ◽

Elizabeth Mason ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Services ◽

Age Groups ◽

Barriers And Facilitators ◽

Western China ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Web Based ◽

Care Services ◽

Facilitators And Barriers ◽

Willingness To Use

Background As an innovative approach to providing web-based health care services from physical hospitals to patients at a distance, e-hospitals (ie, extended care hospitals through the internet) have been extensively developed in China. This closed health care delivery chain was developed by combining e-hospitals with physical hospitals; treatment begins with web-based consultation and registration, and then, patients are diagnosed and treated in a physical hospital. This approach is promising in its ability to improve accessibility, efficiency, and quality of health care. However, there is limited research on end users’ acceptance of e-hospitals and the effectiveness of strategies aimed to prompt the adoption of e-hospitals in China. Objective This study aimed to provide insights regarding the adoption of e-hospitals by investigating patients’ willingness to use e-hospitals and analyzing the barriers and facilitators to the adoption of this technology. Methods We used a pretested self-administered questionnaire and performed a cross-sectional analysis in 1032 patients across three hierarchical hospitals in West China from June to August 2019. Patients’ sociodemographic characteristics, medical history, current disease status, proficiency with electronic devices, previous experience with web-based health services, willingness to use e-hospitals, and perceived facilitators and barriers were surveyed. Multiple significance tests were employed to examine disparities across four age groups, as well as those between patients who were willing to use e-hospitals and those who were not. Multivariate logistic regression was also performed to identify the potential predictors of willingness to use e-hospitals. Results Overall, it was found that 65.6% (677/1032) of participants were willing to use e-hospitals. The significant predictors of willingness to use e-hospitals were employment status (P=.02), living with children (P<.001), education level (P=.046), information technology skills (P<.001), and prior experience with web-based health care services (P<.001), whereas age, income, medical insurance, and familiarity with e-hospitals were not predictors. Additionally, the prominent facilitators of e-hospitals were convenience (641/677, 94.7%) and accessibility to skilled medical experts (489/677, 72.2%). The most frequently perceived barrier varied among age groups; seniors most often reported their inability to operate technological devices as a barrier (144/166, 86.7%), whereas young participants most often reported that they avoided e-hospital services because they were accustomed to face-to-face consultation (39/52, 75%). Conclusions We identified the variables, facilitators, and barriers that play essential roles in the adoption of e-hospitals. Based on our findings, we suggest that efforts to increase the adoption of e-hospitals should focus on making target populations accustomed to web-based health care services while maximizing ease of use and providing assistance for technological inquiries.

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Pattern of ocular morbidity in patients attending ophthalmic OPD at tertiary care hospital, Valsad, Gujarat

International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health ◽

10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20180230 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 569

Author(s):

Mitali G. Patel ◽

Darshankumar K. Mahyavanshi ◽

Sunil Nayak ◽

Aayushi Patel ◽

Brijal Patel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Refractive Error ◽

Health Care Services ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Care Hospital ◽

Research Activity ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Care Services ◽

Age Related ◽

Ocular Morbidity

Background: Vision is the most important special sense in human being. Normal vision is essential for normal physical, mental, psychological development and education. Causes of the preventable blindness are often the result of a combination of factors such as poverty, lack of education and inadequate health-care services. The objectives of the study were to determine the pattern of ocular morbidity in patient attending ophthalmic OPD and to find out the association of most common ocular morbidity with different variables. Methods: The cross sectional study was conducted in ophthalmic department at GMERS medical college, Valsad, Gujarat, India. It is a part of the research activity during internship period in Community Medicine department. All patients who attended ophthalmic OPD in third week of April at this hospital were enlisted in this study with their consent. The patients were seen in ophthalmic OPD by ophthalmologist, proper anterior and posterior segment evaluation was done. Data includes registration number, name, gender, education, locality, occupation, H/o systemic illness, refractive error and the diagnosis. Results: In majority of patients attending ophtahlmic OPD were with occular morbidity specifically refractory error and cataract i.e. 54% and 50% respectively. The prevalence of cataract is significantly lesser in <40 years of age, as it is an age related disease. Second most common occular morbidities observed in our study period was conjunctivitis. Cataract has correlation with age, rural locality and female preponderance. Conclusions: Majority of ocular morbidity were either preventable or treatable. Cataract (65 patients out of 130) being the commonest. If detection is early in the course, prevalence of ocular morbidity can be greatly reduced. The leading causes of ocular morbidity in our study were cataract, a conjunctivitis, and refractive error. A large number of OPD patients were constituted by follow up of cataract surgeries.

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Patients’ Perceptions of Barriers and Facilitators to the Adoption of E-Hospitals: Cross-Sectional Study in Western China (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.17221 ◽

2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Peiyi Li ◽

Yunmei Luo ◽

Xuexin Yu ◽

Jin Wen ◽

Elizabeth Mason ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Services ◽

Age Groups ◽

Barriers And Facilitators ◽

Western China ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Web Based ◽

Care Services ◽

Facilitators And Barriers ◽

Willingness To Use

BACKGROUND As an innovative approach to providing web-based health care services from physical hospitals to patients at a distance, e-hospitals (ie, extended care hospitals through the internet) have been extensively developed in China. This closed health care delivery chain was developed by combining e-hospitals with physical hospitals; treatment begins with web-based consultation and registration, and then, patients are diagnosed and treated in a physical hospital. This approach is promising in its ability to improve accessibility, efficiency, and quality of health care. However, there is limited research on end users’ acceptance of e-hospitals and the effectiveness of strategies aimed to prompt the adoption of e-hospitals in China. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to provide insights regarding the adoption of e-hospitals by investigating patients’ willingness to use e-hospitals and analyzing the barriers and facilitators to the adoption of this technology. METHODS We used a pretested self-administered questionnaire and performed a cross-sectional analysis in 1032 patients across three hierarchical hospitals in West China from June to August 2019. Patients’ sociodemographic characteristics, medical history, current disease status, proficiency with electronic devices, previous experience with web-based health services, willingness to use e-hospitals, and perceived facilitators and barriers were surveyed. Multiple significance tests were employed to examine disparities across four age groups, as well as those between patients who were willing to use e-hospitals and those who were not. Multivariate logistic regression was also performed to identify the potential predictors of willingness to use e-hospitals. RESULTS Overall, it was found that 65.6% (677/1032) of participants were willing to use e-hospitals. The significant predictors of willingness to use e-hospitals were employment status (P=.02), living with children (P<.001), education level (P=.046), information technology skills (P<.001), and prior experience with web-based health care services (P<.001), whereas age, income, medical insurance, and familiarity with e-hospitals were not predictors. Additionally, the prominent facilitators of e-hospitals were convenience (641/677, 94.7%) and accessibility to skilled medical experts (489/677, 72.2%). The most frequently perceived barrier varied among age groups; seniors most often reported their inability to operate technological devices as a barrier (144/166, 86.7%), whereas young participants most often reported that they avoided e-hospital services because they were accustomed to face-to-face consultation (39/52, 75%). CONCLUSIONS We identified the variables, facilitators, and barriers that play essential roles in the adoption of e-hospitals. Based on our findings, we suggest that efforts to increase the adoption of e-hospitals should focus on making target populations accustomed to web-based health care services while maximizing ease of use and providing assistance for technological inquiries.

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Impact of COVID-19 on Management of Laryngeal/Oropharyngeal Neoplasms

Craniomaxillofacial Trauma & Reconstruction ◽

10.1177/1943387520963823 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 194338752096382

Author(s):

Mohamed Abd Elmottaleb Sabaa ◽

T. M. Algarf

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Retrospective Cohort Study ◽

Retrospective Cohort ◽

Health Care Services ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Care Hospital ◽

Oropharyngeal Neoplasms ◽

Care Services ◽

Number Of Patients ◽

The Impact

Study Design: A retrospective cohort study. Objective: The world was unprecedentedly struck by the new coronavirus in December 2019. Consequently, lockdown measures were imposed by many governments. Health-care services were reserved for emergencies and malignancies. Nevertheless, many patients who urgently needed these services did not present. This study estimates the impact of COVID-19 and lockdown measures on the patients’ flow in the outpatient clinic (OPC) and the operations for laryngeal and/or oropharyngeal neoplasms. Methods: This study is a retrospective cohort study performed in otolaryngology department of a tertiary care hospital which is a major referral center. All patients who attended the OPC and all operations performed for laryngeal and/or oropharyngeal neoplasms were counted from February 1, 2020 to May 31, 2020 and compared with the previous year as a reference. Results: In 2020, the number of patients attending the otolaryngology OPC and the laryngeal and/or oropharyngeal surgeries showed a major drop, especially after imposing the lockdown measures. The total number of these operations in April and May 2019 dropped by 79% for the same period in 2020. Conclusion: An estimate of 79% of patients, who had been presenting for laryngeal and/or oropharyngeal neoplasms, did not show up due to indirect COVID-19 effect.

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User experience with the Ask Your Pharmacist teleconsultation platform

Canadian Pharmacists Journal / Revue des Pharmaciens du Canada ◽

10.1177/17151635211006446 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 171516352110064

Author(s):

Line Guénette ◽

Alexandre Chagnon ◽

Véronique Turcotte

Keyword(s):

Emergency Department ◽

Health Care Services ◽

Emergency Department Visits ◽

Perceived Usefulness ◽

Satisfaction Survey ◽

Web Based ◽

Main Motivation ◽

Care Services ◽

Legal Problems ◽

The Impact

Background: An increasing number of pharmacists use technology and social media to connect with patients. However, such means may pose confidentiality issues and legal problems. To correct this situation, a platform of teleconsultation services provided by pharmacists, titled “Ask Your Pharmacist,” was created in Quebec, Canada. Methods: A web-based satisfaction survey was carried out among patients and pharmacists who have used the Ask Your Pharmacist platform to describe their experience and satisfaction with the platform and explore the perceived usefulness of this service in the province of Quebec. Results: A total of 53 patients and 27 pharmacists completed the survey. Most patients were satisfied or very satisfied with their experience with Ask Your Pharmacist (96.2%), said that it met their need (88.7%), and agreed they would not have to consult again about the matter discussed with the pharmacist (75.5%). The main motivation of pharmacists for volunteering on Ask Your Pharmacist was to meet the needs of patients (85.1%), promote their profession (55.6%), improve drug utilization in the population (55.6%) and increase accessibility to a pharmacist (51.9%). Most (81.5%) felt that providing written consultation (rather than oral) required more research on their part. Discussion: Most patients judged they would not have to have another consultation about the matter discussed with the pharmacist, suggesting that Ask Your Pharmacist may avoid the need for physician and emergency department visits. Conclusion: Most patients and pharmacists were satisfied with their experience with Ask Your Pharmacist and perceived this service as useful. Further studies should assess the impact of this platform on the utilization of other health care services. Can Pharm J (Ott) 2021;154:xx-xx.

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The Impact of a Web-Based Caregiver Intervention on the Reasons Stroke Survivors Use Health Care Services During the First Year Post Treatment

Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation ◽

10.1310/tsr1602-122 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. 122-132 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Victoria Steiner ◽

Linda L. Pierce ◽

Felicia Windnagel ◽

Kelly Martincin ◽

Rosalyn Pawlak ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Services ◽

Post Treatment ◽

First Year ◽

Stroke Survivors ◽

Web Based ◽

Care Services ◽

The Impact

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Relationship between anxiety and insomnia in clinical clerkship students during COVID-19 pandemic

Journal of Community Empowerment for Health ◽

10.22146/jcoemph.61392 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 21

Author(s):

Maria Sekartaji ◽

Resty Puspita Sari ◽

Muhammad Irsan ◽

Muhammad Adnan ◽

Labitta Pachira Aquaira ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Anxiety Disorder ◽

Health Care Services ◽

Online Survey ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Learning Performance ◽

Clinical Clerkship ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Care Services ◽

The Impact

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an increase in anxiety disorder towards the general population, including those clinical clerkship students who are associated with health care services. There has been limited study conducted regarding to the topic, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was aimed to know the prevalence of anxiety and insomnia, as well as the correlation between them, in clinical clerkship students during COVID-19 pandemic. An online survey was conducted using a cross-sectional approach to 229 clinical clerkship students batch 2015 at the Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing Universitas Gadjah Mada. This study used the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), administered using Google Forms. Data were analysed using the Chi-Square test. We collected 101 responses. There were 41.6% of males and 58.4% of females with ages ranging from 21 to 26. The result shows 26.7% (95% CI: 8.1-35.4%) of students undergo anxiety and 44.6% (95% CI: 34.9-54.3%) of students experienced insomnia throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a correlation between anxiety and insomnia on clinical clerkship students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Clinical clerkship students with an anxiety disorder have 2.62 times greater risk of experiencing insomnia (p<0.001). The correlation between insomnia and anxiety during COVID-19 pandemic is vital because clinical clerkship students are directly involved in health care services and could risk the safety of patients. Thus, it is important to conduct the course of actions to reduce the risk of mental health problems during pandemic conditions. Also, further research is needed to have a better understanding of the impact on learning performance.

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