Inpatient Hospitalizations during the First Wave of COVID-19 in Portugal

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Health Services Research

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted healthcare systems globally.
• Understanding its impact on non-pandemic related hospital admissions is crucial for healthcare planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the impact of the pandemic's first wave on inpatient hospital admissions in Portugal.
• To compare observed hospitalizations with forecasted values and identify regional/hospital variations.

Main Methods:

• Utilized historical hospital admission data (2008-2017) for forecasting.
• Compared observed hospitalizations (March-May 2020) against forecasts.
• Employed statistical analysis to examine variations by hospital characteristics.

Main Results:

• A 57% reduction (119,315 fewer admissions) was observed during March-May 2020.
• Non-COVID-19 hospitalizations showed increased length of stay and inpatient mortality compared to forecasts.
• Variations in admissions were inconsistent across regions and hospitals, not linked to COVID-19 rates or hospital type.

Conclusions:

• The pandemic's impact on hospital admissions was uneven across Portugal.
• Effective planning is needed to balance routine healthcare needs with pandemic response.
• Future strategies should address the variability in healthcare utilization during public health crises.