The wider implications of the COVID-19 pandemic: Assessing the impact of accident and emergency use for frequent attenders.
David Kyle, Martin Shaw, Donogh Maguire and 4 others
PMID 33677141WHAT IT FOUND
Emergency department visits by frequent attenders dropped significantly during the pandemic.
In the same patients, median visits fell from 6 to 2 over three months. Nurses cannot assume reduced attendance means improved health, as community service use was not tracked.
Key findings
01Emergency department visits by frequent attenders decreased significantly during the pandemic, with the median number of visits dropping from 6 to 4 when comparing the top 80 attenders in 2019 to the top 80 in 2020.
02When tracking the exact same patients from the 2019 cohort into 2020, median emergency department visits dropped from 6 to 2, and total visits fell from 552 to 166.
03The study did not examine whether patients used ambulance services or other community care alternatives, so the reduction in emergency visits may reflect unmet needs or diverted care rather than health improvement.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was conducted at a single centre, so the findings may not apply to other hospitals or regions. The researchers did not track whether patients used ambulance services or other community health services, so it is unclear if the drop in emergency visits reflects better health or a lack of access to care. The study did not include patient or public involvement in its design or reporting.
Declared interests
The work was funded by the Scottish Government’s Value Improvement Fund, with some authors receiving funding from the Medical Research Council, the Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office, and the University of Cambridge. The authors declared no competing financial interests or personal relationships.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the pandemic reduced healthcare demand for frequent attenders. The study only measured emergency department visits and did not track community or ambulance service use, so the drop may represent unmet health needs rather than successful care diversion.