Abstract
We assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain on new cases of diseases and conditions commonly seen in primary care. In 2020, there were significant reductions from 2017-2019 in the annual incidences of hypertension (40% reduction), hypercholesterolemia (36%), type 2 diabetes (39%), chronic kidney disease (43%), ischemic heart disease (48%), benign prostatic hypertrophy (38%), osteoporosis (40%), hypothyroidism (46%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (50%), alcohol use disorder (46%), benign colon polyps and tumors (42%), and melanomas (45%). Prioritization of COVID-19 care changed the physician-patient relationship to the detriment of face-to-face scheduled visits for chronic disease detection and monitoring, which fell by almost 41%. To return to prepandemic levels of diagnosis and management of chronic diseases, primary health care services should reorganize and carry out specific actions for groups at higher risk.
- COVID-19
- SARS-Cov-2
- pandemics
- primary care
- chronic conditions
- underdiagnosis
- telemedicine
- delivery of health care
- health services accessibility
- organizational change
- population health
- Received for publication February 9, 2021.
- Revision received June 4, 2021.
- Accepted for publication June 21, 2021.
- © 2021 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.