Healthcare Utilization and Preventive Cardiovascular Health Screening Among Adults With Disabilities Amid COVID-19...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Services Research
• Disability Studies

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted healthcare utilization and preventive services.
• Understanding disparities in healthcare access for adults with disabilities is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare healthcare utilization and cardiovascular (CV) preventive health screening rates among US adults with disabilities in 2021-2023 versus 2019.
• To identify changes by disability status during the pandemic.

Main Methods:

• Repeated cross-sectional analysis of National Health Interview Survey data (2019-2023) from 150,198 adults.
• Disabilities categorized as sensory, cognitive, physical, or multiple.
• Analysis of healthcare utilization and preventive screenings using descriptive methods and Poisson regression.

Main Results:

• Cardiovascular screening rates declined for most disability groups during the pandemic, with notable exceptions for sensory disabilities in 2023.
• Adults with cognitive and physical disabilities reported higher unmet medical needs due to cost, persisting after adjustments.
• Specific declines observed in blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol screenings for various disability groups.

Conclusions:

• U.S. adults with disabilities experienced significant delays in medical care and reduced cardiovascular screenings during the pandemic.
• These findings highlight persistent healthcare disparities for individuals with disabilities.
• Urgent public health initiatives are needed to improve preventive screening uptake among adults with disabilities.