Changes in Sick Visits at an Academic Pediatric Primary Care Practice due to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Area of Science:

• Pediatric primary care
• Public health
• Infectious disease epidemiology

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic impacted pediatric patient volumes.
• Understanding changes in primary care sick visits during this period is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze patterns of pediatric primary care sick visits before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To compare visit volumes, diagnoses, and the adoption of telehealth.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of academic primary care sick visits (March-August 2019 vs. 2020).
• Data collected included demographics, visit diagnoses, and telehealth utilization.
• Statistical analyses (Chi-square, Fisher's exact tests) were used for comparison.

Main Results:

• Total sick visits decreased from 4,007 in 2019 to 1,868 in 2020.
• Telehealth visits emerged in 2020 (247 visits), comprising 4%-36% of monthly visits.
• Proportion of infectious diagnoses decreased (35% vs. 48%), while non-infectious diagnoses (dermatological, genitourinary/reproductive) increased.

Conclusions:

• Pediatric primary care sick visits declined during the pandemic, mirroring trends in emergency departments.
• Telehealth adoption increased significantly in 2020, correlating with COVID-19 prevalence.
• Reduced visits for contagious illnesses suggest the effectiveness of mitigation strategies.