The Effects on the Number of Patients Visiting the Emergency Units: Comparison Study Before and During COVID-19 Pandemic in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background The number of patients attending emergency departments (EDs) fell dramatically in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, compared with similar periods in 2019 or 2018, and healthcare providers have had to adjust to this change. The aim of this study was to compare the number and type of patients attending a hospital emergency unit before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to avoid the impact of any difference on the community’s healthcare and on healthcare providers. Methods This study assessed differences in the numbers of patients attending the emergency department in 2018, 2019 and 2020, and then determined whether a particular patient type accounted for any such difference. An open-source data repository was accessed to collect the data targeting a private hospital in Riyadh city, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Descriptive statistics and a paired t -test were used to verify the level of variations in the number of patients attending the emergency rooms. Results Results showed no statistically significant difference in the number of patients attending the emergency department between 2018 and 2019, while a noticeable drop was found in the number of patients attending the department between 2019 and 2020. Conclusion The reduction in the number of patients attending the emergency department was found in some but not all patient types. These conclusion highlight variations in ED attendance of which hospital management should be aware so that action can be taken to avoid negative consequences.

Comparison of the Clinical Process and Outcomes in Patients after Coronavirus Infection 2019 Outbreak

“…Of them, the number of patients with fever decreased by 19.5% (931 during the pre-COVID-19 vs. 749 during the COVID-19 period). This trend was similar to that reported in previous studies [17,18]. The major contributing factor for the decrease in ED visits during the pandemic was probably the fear of patients being exposed to COVID-19.…”

The Influence of Saudi National COVID-19 Preparedness Programs on Triage Decision-Making Skills of Healthcare Practitioners During the 2020 Peak of the 1st Wave of COVID-19

“…Studies conducted in KSA to investigate the influence of COVID-19 pandemic on the volume and acuity of patients presenting in ERs revealed an overall reduction in the total number of patients; however, a significant increase in the number of patients attending the ERs as higher acuity was also noticed. 3 , 4 The increment of the number of patients with higher acuity was about 200% resulting in an overcrowding and delay in ERs services. 4 This increase in the number of patients with a higher acuity has interfered with patient flow and put health-care providers and other patients at high risk of infection with the COVID-19 virus.…”

Door to Disposition Key Performance Indicator in Three Saudi Arabian Hospitals’ Emergency Departments during COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Consequently, patients with high acuity illness or injury may have had to wait far too long to be adequately treated. Previous studies had found that patients with lower acuity were avoiding visiting ED during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia [ 19 , 21 ] and other health systems [ 18 , 19 , 21 , 23 , 24 ]. In our study population, the number of ED visits declined after COVID-19 [ Appendix A ].…”

“…All of this increased the workload which led to crowding in the ED [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]. On the other hand, there was a decreased volume of patients seeking health care [ 17 , 18 ] or visiting ED during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially those presenting as lower acuity [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ].…”