By Sara Heath
- Fear of COVID-19 infection is proving a nearly insurmountable patient access to care barrier, with the latest data from Harris Poll and Quest Diagnostics specifically finding patients aren’t accessing COVID-19 testing because of the concern.
In total, 74 percent of Americans who believed they needed a coronavirus test chose not to get one or delayed getting one, with many of those respondents saying they were concerned they might become infected with the virus in the process.
These findings come as the medical industry has turned its attention to how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted in-person patient access to care and how to mitigate potentially negative consequences. This latest data adds a new layer to the COVID-era patient care access issue, as broad access to testing continues to be one of the best tools for capping virus spread.
“Our Health Trends data show that while most Americans understand the vital role testing plays in helping to control the COVID-19 pandemic, people are scared of exposure to the virus,” Harvey W. Kaufman, MD, senior medical director and head of the Health Trends Research Program for Quest, said in a statement.
“This fear keeps them from getting tested when they believe they needed it, and out of the doctor's office for routine care and treatment.”
In total, 30 percent of those who skipped or delayed a COVID-19 test said they were concerned about exposure at the test site. Fifteen percent were worried about having to quarantine while awaiting test results while another 15 percent were deterred by potential costs.
This trend was more prevalent among Hispanic patients, 83 percent of whom said they delayed or declined a COVID-19 test even though they believed they needed one. This is compared to 72 percent of both White and Black patients, the survey showed.
Other racial disparities also emerged, the survey continued. For example, Black patients, who are at higher risk for contracting the illness and who have seen significant racial health disparities during the pandemic, said COVID-19 testing access was crucial.
Seventy-three percent of Black patients agreed with this, compared to only 55 percent of White patients who said the same.
“Those who are concerned about exposure should discuss their concerns with their healthcare provider or local health department, so that they can access a test, if appropriate, and other important health care services,” Kaufman advised.
Patients are not only deferring access to COVID-19 testing; they are also deferring access to routine, in-person medical visits. Overall, 60 percent of patients have delayed in-person care during the pandemic, with 53 percent of respondents saying they have deferred in-person healthcare access out of concern of COVID-19 exposure.
About half of patients (51 percent) said that only a very serious medical event would bring them in for in-person healthcare access, and 33 percent plan to only resume in-person visits once a vaccine becomes widely available.
But most patients are aware of the risks those delays pose and are feeling anxious about it. Thirty-one percent of respondents with a chronic illness said that condition has gotten worse during the pandemic. Another 41 percent said they are concerned they might have an undiagnosed medical condition that has been missed because of delayed in-person care access.
There may be something to those worries, the report added. Previous analyses from Quest showed that diagnoses for the six most common types of cancer are down 46 percent between March and April 2020, at the pandemic’s height. Hemoglobin A1c testing was down by 66 percent during that same time period.
These decreases in in-person care access and barriers to meaningful chronic disease management call for better investment in pandemic-era patient safety. Patients need to be able to resume their in-person care access, Kaufman stated, and organizations need to focus on how to gain patient trust to make that possible.
“With a vaccine likely not making its way to the general public until spring at the earliest, the healthcare community needs to do a better job of helping Americans get back to routine care now,” Kaufman asserted.
“Early diagnosis can save lives and putting off preventative care and chronic disease treatment could make the difference between life and death. Chronic diseases take a toll on the body each day. Delays in diagnosis and treatment will cause, for many people, irreversible damage, require more aggressive and less effective treatments, and contribute to a higher death rate. As Benjamin Franklin advised, 'An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.'”
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December 16, 2020
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Infection Fears Pose Patient Care Access, COVID-19 Testing Barrier - PatientEngagementHIT.com
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