Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Impact of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare use in osteoarthritis : A population register-based study in Sweden

Kiadaliri, Ali LU orcid ; Magnusson, Karin LU ; Turkiewicz, Aleksandra LU ; Dell'Isola, Andrea LU ; Runhaar, Jos ; Bierma-Zeinstra, Sita and Englund, Martin LU orcid (2022) In Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Open 4(2).
Abstract

Objective: To investigate whether the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted healthcare consultations (HCC) and hospitalization among people with and without osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods: Using register data, we included individuals aged ≥35 years residing in Skåne region, Sweden, during 2009-2019 with (n ​= ​123,523) and without (n ​= ​552,412) a diagnosis of OA during January 1, 2009-December 31, 2019. We collected bi-weekly individual data on HCC/hospitalization between January and May for years 2017-2020. Treating the year 2020 as intervention and 2017-2019 as control as well as dividing data to pre- (January-February) and post-pandemic (March-May), we applied event study design to measure the dynamic effects of the... (More)

Objective: To investigate whether the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted healthcare consultations (HCC) and hospitalization among people with and without osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods: Using register data, we included individuals aged ≥35 years residing in Skåne region, Sweden, during 2009-2019 with (n ​= ​123,523) and without (n ​= ​552,412) a diagnosis of OA during January 1, 2009-December 31, 2019. We collected bi-weekly individual data on HCC/hospitalization between January and May for years 2017-2020. Treating the year 2020 as intervention and 2017-2019 as control as well as dividing data to pre- (January-February) and post-pandemic (March-May), we applied event study design to measure the dynamic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on HCC/hospitalization. We used fixed-effect Poisson regressions for estimation and subgroup analyses by sex, age, and comorbidity were conducted among OA patients.

Results: The impact of the pandemic on healthcare use was evident from mid-March 2020 (34-45%/12-25% reductions in in-person HCC/hospitalization) among people with OA relative to 2017-2019. Smaller reductions were seen in those without OA with 25-34%/8-16% reductions in in-person HCC/hospitalization. On contrary, there were increases in remote HCC following the pandemic (5-25% and 11-31% in people with and without OA, respectively). Among persons with OA, there were variations in the pandemic's effects by sex, age and comorbidity.

Conclusion: Despite no lockdown in Sweden there were substantial reductions in in-person healthcare use during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic with greater reductions among people with than without OA.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Open
volume
4
issue
2
article number
100252
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:35261990
  • scopus:85138297096
ISSN
2665-9131
DOI
10.1016/j.ocarto.2022.100252
project
Quasi-experimental study design
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
© 2022 The Author(s).
id
92edddb0-0d06-4f7b-95a4-e8a327dbe683
date added to LUP
2022-03-11 11:11:55
date last changed
2024-06-15 00:42:30
@article{92edddb0-0d06-4f7b-95a4-e8a327dbe683,
  abstract     = {{<p>Objective: To investigate whether the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted healthcare consultations (HCC) and hospitalization among people with and without osteoarthritis (OA).</p><p>Methods: Using register data, we included individuals aged ≥35 years residing in Skåne region, Sweden, during 2009-2019 with (n ​= ​123,523) and without (n ​= ​552,412) a diagnosis of OA during January 1, 2009-December 31, 2019. We collected bi-weekly individual data on HCC/hospitalization between January and May for years 2017-2020. Treating the year 2020 as intervention and 2017-2019 as control as well as dividing data to pre- (January-February) and post-pandemic (March-May), we applied event study design to measure the dynamic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on HCC/hospitalization. We used fixed-effect Poisson regressions for estimation and subgroup analyses by sex, age, and comorbidity were conducted among OA patients.</p><p>Results: The impact of the pandemic on healthcare use was evident from mid-March 2020 (34-45%/12-25% reductions in in-person HCC/hospitalization) among people with OA relative to 2017-2019. Smaller reductions were seen in those without OA with 25-34%/8-16% reductions in in-person HCC/hospitalization. On contrary, there were increases in remote HCC following the pandemic (5-25% and 11-31% in people with and without OA, respectively). Among persons with OA, there were variations in the pandemic's effects by sex, age and comorbidity.</p><p>Conclusion: Despite no lockdown in Sweden there were substantial reductions in in-person healthcare use during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic with greater reductions among people with than without OA.</p>}},
  author       = {{Kiadaliri, Ali and Magnusson, Karin and Turkiewicz, Aleksandra and Dell'Isola, Andrea and Runhaar, Jos and Bierma-Zeinstra, Sita and Englund, Martin}},
  issn         = {{2665-9131}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Open}},
  title        = {{Impact of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare use in osteoarthritis : A population register-based study in Sweden}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ocarto.2022.100252}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.ocarto.2022.100252}},
  volume       = {{4}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}