Articles: pandemics.
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Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the NHS is facing increasing pressures because of growing patient demand and hospital backlogs. With the number of GPs declining, the average number of patients per GP has increased. There are reports of hospital trusts and GP practices introducing doctors' assistants (DAs) to help with clinical and administrative tasks, which has reduced the workload of doctors. As the authors are not aware of any DAs working with GPs locally, Maylands Healthcare (14 000 patients) has introduced this new workforce model by assigning a DA to each clinician's worklist. ⋯ This study demonstrates that the introduction of DAs has helped to manage the administrative workload in primary care, improving efficiency, patient care, and safety.
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The COVID-19 pandemic compelled clinicians to change access to primary health care as face-to-face consultations were a risk to patients and staff. Video consultations (VCs) were frequently substituted as a proxy for a clinical examination. ⋯ While video use overall was low, patients from lower socioeconomic backgrounds had less access to VCs with their GPs in the initial lockdown, which may have had negative impacts on health. The pandemic was an unprecedented event, and primary care rapidly pivoted to online care. However, to mitigate health inequalities, primary care must implement methods to cater for all patients and minimise the risk of digital health exclusion.
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Pediatric emergency care · Jul 2023
Visits to Alberta Emergency Departments for Child Mental Health Concerns During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Examination of Visit Trends in Relation to School Closures and Reopenings.
We examined emergency department (ED) mental health visit trends by children in relation to periods of school closure and reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta, Canada. ⋯ Emergency department mental health visit rates were highest during the first school closure of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the risk of a visit during this closure period was twice compared with when schools first reopened.
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Remote consulting was rolled out across general practice in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although most consultations are carried out safely, there are some cases where remote care may contribute to adverse outcomes. ⋯ Analysis of complaints gives pointers for action on improving awareness and training for GPs and practice teams around risks when consulting remotely.
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Acta clinica Croatica · Jul 2023
UROTHELIAL CARCINOMA BEFORE AND DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN CROATIA - A SINGLE-CENTER STUDY.
The aim of this study was to compare the number of newly diagnosed, histopathologically confirmed cases of urothelial carcinoma before and during the COVID-19 pandemic at the Zagreb University Hospital Center. We retroactively collected and analyzed 300 histopathologically confirmed urothelial carcinoma between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2020, at the Department of Pathology and Cytology, Zagreb University Hospital Center. ⋯ Our study is the first study of this type based on the number of newly diagnosed urothelial carcinoma in Croatia. Observing the early period of the pandemic, our results provide important foundation for future monitoring and long-term consequences of the pandemic on the morbidity and mortality of urothelial carcinoma.