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The COVID-19 pandemic's impact on rheumatic disease patients' satisfaction with access to medical services
Aleksandar Marinkov1, Rositsa Dimova2, Rositsa Karalilova1
1Department of Propaedeutics of Internal Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Clinic of Rheumatology, UMHAT "Kaspela", Medical University of Plovdiv, 64 Sofia Str, Plovdiv, 4002, Bulgaria.
Insights
The COVID-19 pandemic impacted rheumatic disease (RD) patient care, altering communication methods and satisfaction with medical services. In-person and remote communication significantly improved patient satisfaction compared to no communication.
Area of Science:
- Rheumatology
- Public Health
- Health Services Research
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted healthcare delivery, particularly for patients with chronic conditions like autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (RD).
- Changes in medical examination frequency and patient follow-up protocols were necessitated by the pandemic.
- Understanding patient satisfaction with access to medical services became crucial during this period.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the satisfaction of rheumatic disease patients regarding their access to medical services.
- To identify key factors influencing patient satisfaction with healthcare access during the pandemic.
Main Methods:
- A national, multicenter, observational, cross-sectional, anonymous online survey was conducted.
- A specially developed web-based platform and a 41-question structured questionnaire were utilized.
- Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, logistic regression, and Decision Tree (CRT) methods.
Main Results:
- Patient satisfaction with medical service access was influenced by communication type, visit frequency, medication access, and comorbidities.
- Satisfaction with rheumatologist communication was significantly higher with in-person (5.5 times) and other remote means (3 times) compared to no communication.
- Telephonic communication increased to 59% post-pandemic, contrasting with the pre-pandemic prevalence of direct physician contact (80%).
Conclusions:
- The study highlights the critical need to optimize remote access to medical care for rheumatic disease patients, especially during public health crises.
- Effective communication strategies, including both in-person and remote methods, are vital for maintaining patient satisfaction.
- Adapting healthcare delivery models is essential to ensure continued and satisfactory care for chronic disease patients.
Abstract:
The COVID-19 hurt various lifestyle aspects, especially the treatment and follow-up of patients with chronic diseases such as autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (RD). The new circumstances changed the frequency of medical examinations and the way patients with rheumatic diseases are followed up. The objective is to study the impact of COVID-19 on RD patients' satisfaction with access to medical services. A national multicenter observational cross-sectional anonymous online survey was conducted on patients with RD using a specially developed web-based platform and structured questionnaire https://rheumatologycovid19.bg/ . The study was carried out with the support of intra-university project №6/2022 MU-Plovdiv. 1288 patients participated, with an average age of 47.03 (SD ± 12.80 years), of whom 992 (81.6%) were women. The questionnaire contained 41 questions grouped into 5 panels. Descriptive statistics were used-mean, alternative analysis, logistic regression and Decision Tree using the CRT (classification and regression trees) method. The study found that RD patients' satisfaction with access to medical services was influenced by communication type and the frequency of visits to the rheumatologist, difficulties in prescribing and finding medicines and the presence of comorbidities. The likelihood of patients' satisfaction with their rheumatologist was 5.5 and 3 times higher for in-person and other means of communication, respectively, compared to those without any communication. The relative share of patients who communicated by phone was larger (59%) compared to pre-pandemic (41%), where direct contact with the physician prevailed (80%). The results of the study confirmed the need to optimize remote access to medical care for patients with RD during the pandemic.
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