RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
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
FD American Academy of Family Physicians
SP 63
OP 68
DO 10.1370/afm.2731
VO 20
IS 1
A1 Antoni Sisó-Almirall
A1 Belchin Kostov
A1 Encarna Sánchez
A1 Jaume Benavent-Àreu
A1 Luis González-de Paz
YR 2022
UL http://www.annfammed.org/content/20/1/63.abstract
AB 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.VISUAL ABSTRACTAnnals “Online First” article.