Journal of evaluation in clinical practice
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To estimate the frequency and factors associated with foregone and delayed medical care attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic among nonelderly adults from August to December 2020 in the United States. ⋯ Overall, the frequency of foregone and delayed medical care remained high from August to December 2020 among nonelderly US adults. Our findings highlight that pandemic-induced access barriers are major drivers of reduced healthcare provision during the second half of the pandemic and highlight the need for policies to support patients in seeking timely care.
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The successful conduct of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) is often impeded by recruitment difficulties. Community hospitals see large volumes of patients but rarely participate in trials. The objective of this study was to explore how research stakeholders identify and understand the contextual, organizational, research, and individual-level factors that influence the engagement of community hospitals in Ontario to participate in RCTs as partner sites. ⋯ Our results illustrated a willingness of community hospitals to participate in RCTs, but a lack of capacity for research. Additional efforts by trial coordinating sites are required to recruit community hospitals, but their inclusion improves the generalizability of trial results.
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Widespread acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine will be the next important step in fighting the novel coronavirus disease. Though the Pakistani government has successfully implemented robust policies to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic; however, studies assessing public intention to get COVID-19 vaccination (IGCV) are limited. The aim of this study is to deal with this literature gap and has also expanded the conceptual framework of planned behaviour theory. We have introduced three new considerations (risk perceptions of the pandemic, perceived benefits of the vaccine, and unavailability of vaccine) to have a better understanding of the influencing factors that encourage or discourage public IGCV. ⋯ Research findings emphasize the importance of publicizing the devastating impacts of COVID-19 on society and the environment, ensuring vaccination availability at an accessible price while simultaneously improving public healthcare practices.
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The swift progression of the COVID-19 pandemic appeared to facilitate the increase in telehealth utilization. However, it is clear neither how telehealth was offered by providers nor how it was used by patients during this time of unusual and rapid change within the health industry. ⋯ This research found that changes in Medicare policy, associated with CMS' declaration of telehealth waivers during the Public Health Emergency (PHE), likely increased the proliferation and utilization of telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing important access to care for certain populations. With the impending conclusion of the PHE, policymakers must 1) ascertain which elements of the new telehealth landscape will be retained, 2) modernize the regulatory, accreditation and reimbursement framework to maintain pace with care model innovation and 3) address disparities in access to broadband connectivity with a particular focus on rural and underserved communities.
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Physician consultations are a limited resource. Anesthesiologists provide anaesthesia during surgery and procedures, prepare patients for surgery in preoperative clinics, and provide postoperative care. This study sought to evaluate current consultation usage patterns, with an aim to determine possible opportunities for efficiency. ⋯ This study reveals data on utilization and trends over time of preoperative anaesthesia consultations. Potential opportunities for optimization were found, including patients who did not proceed to surgery, and healthier patients undergoing low to moderate risk surgery.