HealthDay Reports: Pandemic Disrupting Health Care for 55% of Older Adults
A new survey found that one in five older adults reported trying telemedicine, and 49 percent find it comparable to an in-person visit.
Pandemic Disrupting Health Care for 55 Percent of Older Adults
THURSDAY, April 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- At least half of older adults report experiencing a disruption to their medical care at one month into social distancing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a survey released April 27 by NORC at University of Chicago.
Researchers from NORC at the University of Chicago interviewed a nationally representative sample of 1,039 adults (≥ 70 years) from April 10 to 15, 2020.
The survey revealed that 55 percent of respondents experienced a disruption in medical care since social distancing began, including delayed or canceled nonessential medical treatment (39 percent), delayed or canceled primary or preventive care (32 percent), and delayed or canceled essential medical treatment (15 percent). Approximately one in five (21 percent) have had a telehealth appointment, and of these respondents, 49 percent said it is about the same as an in-person visit, while 4 percent said it was "much worse." The vast majority of respondents (83 percent) said they are prepared to self-isolate for several months, while one-third reported experiencing more feelings of loneliness.