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Coronavirus Disease Pandemic Effect on Medical-Seeking Behaviors Even in One Resource-Competent Community: A Case

Fang Wang1, Jin-Ming Wu2,3, Yi-Chieh Lin4

  • 1Department of Nursing, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 100, Taiwan.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
|September 9, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Fear of COVID-19 infection deterred patients from seeking timely medical care, leading to more severe appendicitis cases and longer hospital stays during the pandemic. This highlights the need for clear communication to encourage health-seeking behavior.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Services
  • Public Health
  • Surgical Outcomes

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted healthcare delivery globally.
  • Taiwan's unique approach of maintaining medical services without travel restrictions during the initial surge offered a natural experiment.
  • The study investigated the influence of COVID-19 fear on health-seeking behavior (HSB) in patients with acute complicated appendicitis (ACA).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if fear of COVID-19 infection affected health-seeking behavior among adults with acute complicated appendicitis.
  • To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence of ACA and hospital stay duration.
  • To provide insights for the surgical community on addressing patient concerns during a pandemic.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of adults with acute appendicitis was studied during the COVID-19 period (January-June 2020).
  • A historical control group from the preceding three years was used for comparison.
  • Outcome measures included the rate of ACA, symptom duration until emergency room presentation, and length of hospital stays.

Main Results:

  • The COVID-19 period saw a significantly higher rate of ACA (29.7% vs. 19.4%) and longer hospital stays (5.0 vs. 4.0 days) compared to the historical control.
  • Patients in the COVID-19 era had a longer duration of symptoms before seeking emergency care (>48 hours: 17.2% vs. 9.1%).
  • Adjusted models confirmed a significant relationship between the COVID-19 period and increased ACA rates (OR=1.87) and longer hospital stays (OR=2.10).

Conclusions:

  • The fear of contracting COVID-19 likely deterred patients from seeking timely medical attention, leading to worse clinical outcomes.
  • The study underscores the importance of addressing public fear and anxiety to ensure continued health-seeking behavior during health crises.
  • The surgical community should proactively disseminate accurate information to alleviate patient stress and encourage prompt medical consultation.

Keywords:
COVID-19appendicitishealth-seeking behaviorsurgical care

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