Forgoing healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic in Geneva, Switzerland - A cross-sectional population-based study.
Access to healthcare
COVID-19 pandemic
Forgoing healthcare
Health equity
Journal
Preventive medicine
ISSN: 1096-0260
Titre abrégé: Prev Med
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 0322116
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
03 2022
03 2022
Historique:
received:
04
10
2021
revised:
17
12
2021
accepted:
06
02
2022
pubmed:
13
2
2022
medline:
4
3
2022
entrez:
12
2
2022
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Health systems around the world continue to navigate through operational challenges surfaced by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic; these have implications for access to healthcare. In this study, we estimate the prevalence and reasons for forgoing healthcare during the pandemic in Geneva, Switzerland; a country with a universal and mandatory private health insurance coverage. Participants from a randomly selected population-based sample of the adult population living in the Canton of Geneva completed an online socio-demographic and lifestyle questionnaire between November 2020 and January 2021. The prevalence and reasons for forgoing healthcare since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic were examined descriptively, and logistic regression models were used to assess determinants for forgoing healthcare. The study included 5397 participants, among which 8.0% reported having forgone healthcare since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic; participants with a disadvantaged financial situation (OR = 2.04; 95% CI: 1.56-2.65), and those reporting an average (OR = 2.54; 95% CI: 1.94-3.31) or poor health (OR = 4.40; 95% CI: 2.39-7.67) were more likely to forgo healthcare. The most common reasons to forgo healthcare were appointment cancellations by healthcare providers (53.9%), fear of infection (35.3%), and personal organizational issues (11.1%). Our paper highlights the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on access to healthcare and identifies population sub-groups at-risk for forgoing healthcare. These results necessitate public health efforts to ensure equitable and accessible healthcare as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
Health systems around the world continue to navigate through operational challenges surfaced by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic; these have implications for access to healthcare. In this study, we estimate the prevalence and reasons for forgoing healthcare during the pandemic in Geneva, Switzerland; a country with a universal and mandatory private health insurance coverage.
METHODS
Participants from a randomly selected population-based sample of the adult population living in the Canton of Geneva completed an online socio-demographic and lifestyle questionnaire between November 2020 and January 2021. The prevalence and reasons for forgoing healthcare since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic were examined descriptively, and logistic regression models were used to assess determinants for forgoing healthcare.
RESULTS
The study included 5397 participants, among which 8.0% reported having forgone healthcare since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic; participants with a disadvantaged financial situation (OR = 2.04; 95% CI: 1.56-2.65), and those reporting an average (OR = 2.54; 95% CI: 1.94-3.31) or poor health (OR = 4.40; 95% CI: 2.39-7.67) were more likely to forgo healthcare. The most common reasons to forgo healthcare were appointment cancellations by healthcare providers (53.9%), fear of infection (35.3%), and personal organizational issues (11.1%).
CONCLUSION
Our paper highlights the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on access to healthcare and identifies population sub-groups at-risk for forgoing healthcare. These results necessitate public health efforts to ensure equitable and accessible healthcare as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
Identifiants
pubmed: 35150752
pii: S0091-7435(22)00035-4
doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.106987
pmc: PMC8828292
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
106987Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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