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The “My Patients” Foundation conducted an opinion poll on how Poles perceive the functioning of the health care system in a pandemic. It turns out that as much as 81 percent. believes that the pandemic impedes access to doctors in cases unrelated to the coronavirus. What else have we learned?
The most important problems of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the entire healthcare system upside down. The emergence of homonymous hospitals, suspension of scheduled admissions, suspension of physiotherapy, and the attitude of primary health care facilities and specialist offices to teleporting made patients feel lost in the new order.
The “My Patients” Foundation conducted an opinion poll, thanks to which we can learn about the most important problems faced by patients in the current situation caused by the pandemic. What was established?
As much as 70,1 percent. of the respondents indicated the inability to use the planned visits / tests / treatments as the most important problem. Among other problems, there were also:
- elongation / falling out of lines – 51,6 percent
- lack of key benefits / medical services – 48,6%
- lack of support from relatives during hospital stays – 33,3%
- no continuation of care for patients in hospitals changed to identical hospitals – 29%
- no readily available information on where to look for help – 24,8%
The spokesperson for Patients’ Rights, Bartłomiej Chmielowiec, who commented on the report, said:
The transformation of hospitals into aliases, which before the epidemic were treatment centers for many groups of patients, caused many difficulties in obtaining health services by people with other diseases. Patients with chronic diseases were most affected by this situation. We must remember that in these groups of patients, diagnosis, treatment or its continuation cannot wait.
Many hospitals provided services, and the patient also had the opportunity to use teleportation.
– Extending queues in an epidemic situation is a difficult problem. It was a very good move to focus on teleportation. However, teleporting cannot be used in all cases – you cannot examine the patient or perform other tests. If the doctor, based on medical criteria, determines the need for a personal visit to the clinic, such a visit must be carried out in compliance with safety rules, the spokesman added.
What can be improved in the functioning of health facilities?
44,6 percent of respondents understand the seriousness of the situation and will “wait calmly for the procedure or visit”
The survey also asked how the respondent felt when he learned about the cancellation or postponement of the visit / treatment to another date. Almost half of the respondents admitted that they understand the seriousness of the situation and are calmly waiting for an appointment or surgery. Magdalena Kołodziej, the president of the “My Patients” foundation, is concerned about this result.
– It follows that Poles, fearing a possible infection, feel that “my illness will wait”. This is a wrong and harmful assumption because the next few weeks pass and the situation related to access to treatment does not improve. Cardiologists and oncologists can already see that far fewer patients visit them than in normal realities. Likewise, chronically ill patients should be in constant contact with their doctor – he explains.
In addition, as much as 72 percent. of respondents indicated that they agree with the statement that patients do not use health services despite the fact that they need them, for fear of contracting coronavirus.
Doctors also pay attention to this fact. Every month, I urgently referred a dozen patients to the hospital. Where are they now? Are they dying at home? – wrote to MedTvoiLokony a cardiologist.
Also read:
- Prof. Dariusz Dudek: we are threatened with a rapid number of deaths caused by diseases other than COVID-19
- Coronavirus in Poland. What is the situation in oncology?
- Surgery during the coronavirus epidemic. When should the procedure be canceled and when it cannot be canceled?
81 percent of the respondents also agreed with the statement that during the pandemic, access to a doctor in matters not related to the coronavirus is difficult.
The study was carried out on a representative sample of 1000 people, by telephone interview method, from May 05 to May 10, 2020. It was financed by a grant from the Employers’ Union of Innovative Pharmaceutical Companies INFARMA.