The Impact of COVID-19 on Healthcare Services

Dear Colleagues,

COVID-19 pandemic heavly impacted health services across all countries: the increase in morbidity and mortality due to Sars-Cov-2 infection caused an important consumption in hospital resourches. This situation in paraller influenced healthcare services, in particular about hospital admissions and visits unrelated to COVID-19 itself. There is emerging evidence from many countries that there are variations in healthcare utilization patterns due to COVID-19. In particular, ambulatory services switched to tele-medicine and several elective admissions were postponed. Given that COVID-19 is a fluctuating circumstance, many elective procedures have continued to be delayed as COVID-19 cases increase and virtual care remains a large component for many outpatient practices. Despite the reduction in outpatient service and elective surgeries, patients would presumably still require inpatient management for their acute and chronic medical conditions requiring admission through the emergency department, and the impact of the emergency measures on overall hospital use is uncertain. Because of that, an increase in emergency department acces for ambulatory care sensitive condition would be expected. This Special Issue aims to summarize the latest research that analyzed the impact of COVID19 on health services. In particular, papers that examine trends in hospital admissions during the pandemic, the impact of COVID19 on chronic conditions and ambulatory care sensitive conditions, and the effect of preventive strategies to improve hospital care in patients with and without COVID-19. Papers which examine the epidemiology of COVID-19 hospitalization, primary care, out-hospital management of the disease, the impact of COVID-19 on other diseases, and the economic burden of COVID-19 will also be considered.

Dr. Giuseppe Di Martino
Prof. Dr. Tommaso Staniscia
Dr. Fabrizio Cedrone

Guest Editors

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