Changes of radiological examination volumes over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic: a comprehensive analysis of the different waves of infection

Insights into Imaging

Tazio Maleitzke¹  Alexandra Petukhova-Greenstein²  Ahmet Said Kucukkaya²  Bernhard Gebauer²  Florian Nima Fleckenstein²  Georg Böning²  Vinzent Kahl²  Bernd Hamm²  Annette Aigner³ 

[1] BIH Charité Clinician Scientist Program, Berlin Institute of Health at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, BIH Biomedical Innovation Academy;Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin;Institute of Biometry and Clinical Epidemiology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin;

关键词: SARS-CoV-2;    Lockdown;    Public Health;    Crisis;    Healthcare;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s13244-022-01181-z

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Abstract Objectives Data from radiological departments provide important information on overall quantities of medical care provided. With this study we used a comprehensive analysis of radiological examinations as a surrogate marker to quantify the effect of the different COVID-19 waves on medical care provided. Methods Radiological examination volumes during the different waves of infection were compared among each other as well as to time-matched control periods from pre-pandemic years using a locally weighted scatterplot smoothing as well as negative binominal regression models. Results A total of 1,321,119 radiological examinations were analyzed. Examination volumes were reduced by about 10% over the whole study period (IRR = 0.90; 95% CI 0.89–0.92), with a focus on acute medical care (0.84; 0.83–0.85) and outpatients (0.93: 0.90–0.97). When compared to wave 1, examination volumes were about 17% higher during wave 2 (1.17; 1.10–1.25), and 33% higher in wave 3 of the pandemic (1.33; 1.24–1.42). Conclusions This study shows the severe effect of COVID-19 pandemic and related shutdown measures on overall provided medical care as measured by radiological examinations. When compared, the decrease of medical care was more pronounced in the earlier waves of the pandemic.

【 授权许可】

Unknown