TY - JOUR T1 - Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Primary Health Care Disease Incidence Rates: 2017 to 2020 JF - The Annals of Family Medicine JO - Ann Fam Med DO - 10.1370/afm.2731 SP - 2731 AU - Antoni Sisó-Almirall AU - Belchin Kostov AU - Encarna Sánchez AU - Jaume Benavent-Àreu AU - Luis González-de Paz Y1 - 2021/09/24 UR - http://www.annfammed.org/content/early/2021/09/23/afm.2731.abstract N2 - 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. ER -