Face mask use by patients in primary care

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Infectious Disease Epidemiology
• Primary Care Medicine

Background:

• Face masks are recommended for patients with respiratory symptoms to mitigate influenza transmission.
• Limited data exists on the actual utilization and acceptance of face masks within primary care settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare face mask distribution with clinic and community trends in respiratory infection (RI) and influenza-like illness (ILI).
• To estimate the annual requirement for face masks in primary care.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective observational study analyzed practice data over 31 weeks starting October 2009.
• Data included patient demographics, weekly face mask distribution, and RI/ILI counts from 27 statewide clinics.
• Patients presenting with fever, cough, or other respiratory symptoms were included.

Main Results:

• Face mask distribution represented 80% of respiratory infection counts and mirrored clinic demographics.
• Mask distribution correlated significantly with RI (R = 0.783) and ILI (R = 0.632) prevalence.
• Approximately 8% of annual clinic visits were attributed to respiratory infections.

Conclusions:

• High face mask utilization among RI patients indicates feasibility for controlling influenza transmission in primary care.
• The findings provide a basis for clinics to estimate their annual face mask needs effectively.