Impact of COVID-19 on services for people with disabilities and chronic health conditions.
Ariel E Schwartz, Elizabeth G S Munsell, Elizabeth K Schmidt and 3 others
PMID 33715986WHAT IT FOUND
Privileged patients with disabilities reported frequent service discontinuations, leading to health declines and reliance on untrained family.
Telehealth helped some but not others. Remote work benefits were noted, but the sample was small, white, and highly educated, limiting generalizability.
Key findings
01Across 16 service types, an average of 54% of service changes were due to discontinuation.
02Participants reported that service loss led to physical regression, pain, and reliance on family members for personal care.
03There was no significant association between the number of discontinued services and loss of employment.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample was small (n=119), homogeneous, and largely white, female, and high-income, limiting generalizability. Recruitment was via social media and professional contacts, introducing selection bias. The study is cross-sectional and self-reported, so it cannot prove causation between service loss and health outcomes. Subgroup analyses were not possible due to small cell counts.
Declared interests
The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume these findings apply to patients with lower income or different racial backgrounds, as the sample was predominantly white, female, and highly educated. The lack of association between service loss and employment in this group does not mean service loss is irrelevant to job retention for others.