The COVID-19 Pandemic in Nijmegen, the Netherlands: Changes in Presented Health Problems and Demand for Primary Care

Henk Schers, Chris van Weel, Kees van Boven, Reinier Akkermans, Erik Bischoff, Tim olde Hartman

2021The Annals of Family Medicine55 citationsDOI Open Access PDF

Abstract

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 (<i>P</i> <0.001); mental health problems stabilized.

Topics & Concepts

MedicineCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)PandemicOutbreakPrimary care2019-20 coronavirus outbreakSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)Mental healthHealth careDiseaseFamily medicinePediatricsPsychiatryInfectious disease (medical specialty)VirologyPathologyEconomicsEconomic growthChronic Disease Management StrategiesPrimary Care and Health OutcomesHealthcare Policy and Management