The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Hospital Services for Patients with Cardiac Diseases: A Scoping Review

Abstract

This study aims to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospital cardiac care, as assessed by performance indicators. Scoping review methodology: performance indicators were extracted to inform on changes in care during January–June 2020. Database searches yielded 6277 articles, of which 838 met the inclusion criteria. After full-text screening, 94 articles were included and 1637 indicators were retrieved. Most of the indicators that provided information on changes in the number of admissions (n = 118, 88%) signaled a decrease in admissions; 88% (n = 15) of the indicators showed patients’ delayed presentation and 40% (n = 54) showed patients in a worse clinical condition. A reduction in diagnostic and treatment procedures was signaled by 95% (n = 18) and 81% (n = 64) of the indicators, respectively. Length of stay decreased in 58% (n = 21) of the indicators, acute coronary syndromes treatment times increased in 61% (n = 65) of the indicators, and outpatient activity decreased in 94% (n = 17) of the indicators related to outpatient care. Telehealth utilization increased in 100% (n = 6). Outcomes worsened in 40% (n = 35) of the indicators, and mortality rates increased in 52% (n = 31). All phases of the pathway were affected. This information could support the planning of care during the ongoing pandemic and in future events.

Estimating the health impact of delayed elective care during the COVID -19 pandemic in the Netherlands

“…Cross-country comparisons, including countries from various income groups, are recommended to get a comprehensive understanding of the impact of a pandemic. In contrast to other models estimating the health impact of delays in (semi-) urgent care, such as cancer surgery and emergency healthcare ( de Lange et al, 2022 ; Gheorghe et al, 2021 ; Gravesteijn et al, 2021 ; Nab et al, 2021 ; Smith et al, 2021 ), our model focused on elective hospital procedures and therefore did not require detailed model inputs to account for disease progression and alterations of the treatment pathway. As we aimed to arrive at nationwide estimates about the impact of delayed elective surgical, several methodological challenges had to be met.…”

“…Various estimates on the quantity of delayed hospital care in numerous countries are available ( Ball et al, 2020 ; Barach et al, 2020 ; Ciarleglio et al, 2021 ; COVIDSurg Collaborative, 2020 ; World Health Organization, 2021 ; Truche et al, 2021 ; Kutluk et al, 2021 ). Several papers have been published on the health impact of delayed urgent and semi-urgent care, such as cancer diagnoses and emergency healthcare ( Ciarleglio et al, 2021 ; de Lange et al, 2022 ; Gheorghe et al, 2021 ; B. A.…”

Framing the pandemic: Multiplying “crises” in Dutch healthcare governance during the emerging COVID-19 pandemic

“…International studies point to the pandemic's impact on different levels of the healthcare system, e.g. on number of consultations with general practitioners ( Deml et al, 2022 ), the waning levels of staff commitment as the pandemic progressed ( Gifford et al, 2022 ), and patients' clinical condition ( de Lange et al, 2022 ). We do see evidence of continuous strain on healthcare systems due to staff shortages and the constant pressure of treating COVID and post-COVID patients and working through waiting lists of regular patients whose care was postponed ( Mizee et al, 2022 ).…”