Patients at highest risk of missing non-COVID health care

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Since the declaration of the pandemic in 2020, governments and medical professionals have been rapidly adapting to social distances and reducing the risk of viral infections.

Although necessary, some of these changes, coupled with the community’s fear of becoming infected with COVID-19, have resulted in people delaying regular screening and care.

now, New data What was collected by Monash University identified Australians at the highest risk of missing non-COVID health care.

In a national survey of 13,829 people during the first wave of April 2020, nearly half of the respondents said they had non-COVID-related health status in the first month of COVID-19 regulation. I found out that I needed medical / disability services. Of these, 31.6% of respondents under the age of 45 said they had poor access to care, as did 24.3% of respondents over the age of 45.

People who have been found to be at particularly high risk of missing care include:

• With symptoms of depression and anxiety
• Performing unpaid work, i.e. students
• Living alone
• Low socioeconomic status
• Living with government benefits
• Has personal experience with COVID-19, including concerns about getting infected with the virus.

The data are the first to investigate the prevalence and factors of the population associated with access to health care and disability needs during COVID-19 restrictions, and routine health throughout hospital and primary health care settings. Consistent with previous international studies that revealed a decline in care presentations.

The authors point out that the trend of concern can lead to a significant increase in medical conditions, as seen in the 2002-2004 SARS outbreak.

The lead author, Professor Flavia Cicuttini, is responsible for the Musculoskeletal Unit at Monash University and Head of Rheumatology at Alfred Hospital.

She said the findings could have serious implications for future health outcomes and urged doctors to “pay special attention” to the cohorts identified by the study.

“Missing opportunities in routine medical care can lead to far worse results across many healthcare institutions.
Symptoms of mental health, cancer, chronic illness, etc. “said Professor Chicatini.

“Our findings help doctors identify and prioritize Australians who may have missed potentially life-saving medical care due to non-COVID-related health problems during the blockade. .. “

Professor Mark Morgan, chair of the Queensland GP and RACGP Expert Committee-Quality Control (REC-QC), is equally concerned about the long-term effects on patient health outcomes over the last two years.

‘[The late Dr Julian] Tudor Heart is believed to have been explained first Inverse care method The most deprived people receive the least access to healthcare, “he said. newsGP..

‘[And] COVID-19 showed that 50 years later, the reverse care method is alive and well.

For example, patients living with a serious mental illness are six times more likely to die of cardiovascular disease, with a 20-year life expectancy gap.

‘Cancer screening was interrupted by a pandemic And modeling shows the price we pay for this turmoil.

Professor Morgan said that being able to reach patients using telemedicine can help reduce access barriers, using regularly recorded data to prioritize and most patient needs. It states that it can promote preventive care for high-risk patients.

He agrees that the GP is suitable for its mission, but he says that in the current climate, medical care is under tremendous pressure as infection rates skyrocket. Increased workload..

‘RACGP Vision is for general practice Not only to focus on the patient in front of us, but also to make it comprehensive, coordinated and accessible to all patients in the general practitioner, “says Professor Morgan.

“This is a’population health’approach, [and] It is most effective when the GP knows who the patient is and is funded to use the team approach to prevent preventive care.

“But first, the GP has to overcome the almost impossible demands of deployment. [booster] Vaccines for adults and COVID-19 vaccines for children simultaneously address vast amounts of local illness and anxiety. All of these are understaffed and have a significant labor shortage in rural areas. “

Plan Supporting cancer screening

There remains concern about delays in cancer diagnosis during a pandemic, and the data show that: Fewer mammograms and cervical screening tests performed in Australia in 2020..

To encourage participation in cancer screening The federal government has invested over $ 10 million Identify new and innovative approaches in medical research.

With Australia’s promise to eradicate cervical cancer by 2035, some of its funding will be part of the University of Melbourne to consider using self-collection to increase access to and fairness in screening. Directed to researchers in Australia. In addition, Planning NSW is conducting research to inform the development of resources and tools to support the adoption of screening for people with intellectual disabilities.

BreastScreen Australia is also funding to improve participation in cancer screening. As the second most common cancer to death among Australian women, the University of Western Australia aims to target obesity-related barriers to mammography screening.

The team will also consider ways to attract Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders women, women with diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and women with different levels of education and income.

Funding is also directed to programs to encourage participation in national intestinal cancer screening programs offered through general practice.

It is currently the third most common cancer in Australia, with screening levels currently below 45%, but studies show that if participation reaches 60%, it could save 84,000 lives by 2040.

To target those who have not yet participated in the program, a team at the University of Melbourne is experimenting with a project in which patients are sent SMS through general practice. In addition, the Australian National University is investigating why Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have low participation rates and how their uptake can be increased.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said regular screening and early detection are essential to improving health.

“Australia’s cancer screening program is world-leading and it’s easy. We know that cancer screening can save lives,” he said.

“The more we can do to understand the challenges that prevent Australians from undergoing regular screening, the more we can innovate our programs, maximize protection and save more lives. This study is important because it allows you to do more. “

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Cancer screening COVID-19 (new coronavirus infection) mental health Non-COVID Healthcare Pandemic