RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The COVID-19 Pandemic in Nijmegen, the Netherlands: Changes in Presented Health Problems and Demand for Primary Care
JF The Annals of Family Medicine
JO Ann Fam Med
FD American Academy of Family Physicians
SP 44
OP 47
DO 10.1370/afm.2625
VO 19
IS 1
A1 Schers, Henk
A1 van Weel, Chris
A1 van Boven, Kees
A1 Akkermans, Reinier
A1 Bischoff, Erik
A1 olde Hartman, Tim
YR 2021
UL http://www.annfammed.org/content/19/1/44.abstract
AB We studied the changes in presented health problems and demand for primary care since the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the Netherlands. We analyzed prominent symptom features of COVID-19, and COVID-19 itself as the reason for encounter. Also, we analyzed the number and type of encounters for common important health problems. Respiratory tract symptoms related to COVID-19 were presented more often in 2020 than in 2019. We observed a dramatic increase of telephone/e-mail/Internet consultations in the months after the outbreak. Contacts for other health problems such as prevention and acute and chronic conditions plummeted substantially (P <0.001); mental health problems stabilized.