The following is a summary of “Disruption of Healthcare in New York City During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings From Residents Living in North and Central Brooklyn, the South Bronx, and East and Central Harlem,” published in the October 2023 issue of Primary Care by Dorvil et al.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been disproportionately severe in certain neighborhoods in New York City (NYC), primarily affecting Black, Indigenous, and Latinx communities. The areas have experienced significantly higher hospitalization and COVID-related death rates compared to the rest of NYC, which can be attributed to a long history of structural racism and disinvestment. While measures such as stay-at-home orders were implemented to curb the spread of COVID-19, they may have also disrupted access to and utilization of non-COVID-related healthcare services. For a study, researchers sought to assess the prevalence of such disruptions and the reasons behind them during the first 18 months of the pandemic.
Between September 30, 2021, and November 4, 2021, the NYC Health Department conducted the COVID-19 Community Recovery Survey among residents who were part of the NYC Health Panel, a probability-based survey panel. The cross-sectional survey, which included closed and open-ended questions, was self-administered online or completed via CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing) and was available in English, Spanish, and Simplified Chinese. The study employed descriptive statistics to summarize responses, and unweighted, weighted, age-adjusted percentages and 95% CIs were calculated.
With a response rate of 30.3% (N = 1,358), over half of participants (54%) reported disruptions in either routine physical healthcare or mental health services. Key reasons for postponing routine healthcare included concerns about contracting COVID-19 (61%), stay-at-home policies (40%), belief that care could be safely delayed (35%), and appointment challenges (34%). As for delaying mental healthcare, major reasons included concerns about contracting COVID-19 (38%) and reduced service hours (36%). Even after 18 months, reported reasons for continued delays in care were tied to COVID concerns, appointment difficulties, and insurance challenges.
The disruption of healthcare due to the pandemic was anticipated to some extent. However, many study participants either avoided or experienced delays in healthcare services. The extended delay of non-COVID-related healthcare services during the pandemic may exacerbate existing health inequities, especially among NYC residents who already bore a higher burden of chronic diseases before the pandemic began in March 2020. The findings from the study can inform more equitable COVID-19 recovery efforts and guide health promotion initiatives.
Source: journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/21501319231205992