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The impact of COVID-19 on hospital admissions and emergency department visits: A population-based study

Elissa Rennert-May1,2,3,4,5, Jenine Leal1,2,4,6, Nguyen Xuan Thanh7

  • 1Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Plos One
|June 1, 2021
PubMed

Insights

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly reduced hospital admissions and emergency department visits in Alberta, Canada. This study highlights the need to understand how these healthcare access changes can be safely sustained.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology
  • Health Services Research

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant shifts in healthcare access globally.
  • Alberta, Canada experienced approximately 1550 COVID-19 hospital admissions.
  • A public health emergency act was enacted on March 15, 2020.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the impact of COVID-19 on hospital admissions and emergency department (ED) visits in Alberta.
  • To compare pre- and post-COVID-19 public health measures trends in healthcare utilization.
  • To identify changes in common diagnoses for hospital admissions.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective population-based study in Alberta (4.4 million population).
  • Multivariable negative binomial regression comparing daily admissions (March 16-September 23, 2019 vs. 2020).
  • Analysis of ED visits, including ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSC).

Main Results:

  • Significant reductions observed in daily medical (IRR 0.86) and surgical (IRR 0.82) admissions via ED.
  • Daily ED visits decreased significantly (IRR 0.65), including for ACSC (IRR 0.75).
  • Admissions for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease decreased; mental and behavioral disorders due to alcohol increased.

Conclusions:

  • COVID-19 measures profoundly impacted Alberta's healthcare system, reducing hospital and ED visits despite low COVID-19 admission volumes.
  • Further research is needed to understand the causes of these reductions.
  • Investigating sustainable strategies for reduced healthcare utilization is critical for public health systems facing capacity challenges.
Abstract

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