Risk perception trajectory of elderly chronic disease patients in the community under COVID-19: A qualitative research.
Xiaoyu Wu, Ni Gong, Ya Meng and 4 others
PMID 34560524WHAT IT FOUND
Older adults with chronic disease described fear, restricted travel, and interrupted medicines during COVID-19.
Some stopped treatment because hospitals were hard to reach. Ask about access worries before assuming they chose to skip care.
Key findings
01Travel restrictions limited daily life, including shopping and family visits.
02Fear of infection and hospital access problems led some participants to stop needed medicines.
03Hospital access policies and travel restrictions delayed treatment, including for acute illness and chemotherapy.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study included only 21 older adults from one community in southern China, so it may not represent other places or groups. Participants were similar in lifestyle, customs, and culture, and their stories were alike. Purposive sampling and small sample size may bias the findings. It excluded people with cognitive or psychiatric disorders, so it does not cover all older adults with chronic disease. It describes perceptions and experiences, not measured treatment outcomes or the effect of any nursing or health-care strategy.
Declared interests
All authors declared no competing interests. The paper is listed as a journal article supported by non-U.S. government research.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the reported treatment delays as proof that epidemic restrictions caused harm in all older adults with chronic disease. The study describes 21 patients' perceptions in one community and does not measure outcomes or compare care strategies.