TY - JOUR
T1 - Examining Health Disparities in Orthopedic Care During COVID-19
AU - Pond, Kristina
AU - Samuels, Kaitlyn
AU - Meinhardt, Gerek
AU - Jacobs, Cale
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2023.
PY - 2023/4
Y1 - 2023/4
N2 - Background: Demographics and socioeconomic status affect the delivery of medical care resulting in healthcare disparities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on existing healthcare disparities, including access to healthcare in the outpatient orthopedic surgery clinic. Methods: The medical records of 3006 patients treated at the University of Kentucky Orthopedic Surgery Department prior to COVID-19 (April 2018, 2019), and during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020) were retrospectively reviewed for demographic data, distance to clinic, and type of visit. We then compared the total number of patient visits, new patient visits, telehealth visits, and the patient’s insurance provider (public or private) between the time period prior to and during the pandemic. Results: During the COVID-19 pandemic, there were significant declines in the number of patients seen, new patient presentations, and publicly insured patients. Thirty-three percent of visits were telemedicine visits in 2020 compared to 0% pre-COVID (P <.0001). There was a lower proportion of initial visits in 2020 (P <.0001). The majority of patients paid via private/commercial insurance (1798, 59.8%), with a greater proportion paying via private/commercial insurance in 2020 (P <.001). The median average household income was increased in 2020 (P <.001). Discussion: While COVID-19 resulted in a significant decline in overall access to care, there were negative ramifications particularly on patients with new complaints and those of lower socioeconomic status. Future endeavors should be focused on correcting the obstacles to accessing care, exacerbated by the pandemic, that these vulnerable populations face.
AB - Background: Demographics and socioeconomic status affect the delivery of medical care resulting in healthcare disparities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on existing healthcare disparities, including access to healthcare in the outpatient orthopedic surgery clinic. Methods: The medical records of 3006 patients treated at the University of Kentucky Orthopedic Surgery Department prior to COVID-19 (April 2018, 2019), and during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020) were retrospectively reviewed for demographic data, distance to clinic, and type of visit. We then compared the total number of patient visits, new patient visits, telehealth visits, and the patient’s insurance provider (public or private) between the time period prior to and during the pandemic. Results: During the COVID-19 pandemic, there were significant declines in the number of patients seen, new patient presentations, and publicly insured patients. Thirty-three percent of visits were telemedicine visits in 2020 compared to 0% pre-COVID (P <.0001). There was a lower proportion of initial visits in 2020 (P <.0001). The majority of patients paid via private/commercial insurance (1798, 59.8%), with a greater proportion paying via private/commercial insurance in 2020 (P <.001). The median average household income was increased in 2020 (P <.001). Discussion: While COVID-19 resulted in a significant decline in overall access to care, there were negative ramifications particularly on patients with new complaints and those of lower socioeconomic status. Future endeavors should be focused on correcting the obstacles to accessing care, exacerbated by the pandemic, that these vulnerable populations face.
KW - COVID-19
KW - health disparity
KW - orthopedic
KW - pandemic
KW - socioeconomic
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U2 - 10.1177/00031348231153551
DO - 10.1177/00031348231153551
M3 - Article
C2 - 36717093
AN - SCOPUS:85147419229
SN - 0003-1348
VL - 89
SP - 583
EP - 588
JO - American Surgeon
JF - American Surgeon
IS - 4
ER -