TY - JOUR
T1 - The pandemic-related factors associated with emergency department visits in Portugal throughout two years of the pandemic
T2 - a retrospective population-based study
AU - Kinaan, Walaa
AU - Soares, Patrícia
AU - Rocha, João Victor
AU - Boto, Paulo
AU - Santana, Rui
AU - Lopes, Sílvia
N1 - Funding Information:
The present publication was funded by Fundação Ciência e Tecnologia, with IP national support through CHRC (UIDP/04923/2020).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 by the authors.
PY - 2023/1
Y1 - 2023/1
N2 - The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the use of emergency departments (ED) worldwide. This study identifies the pandemic-related factors associated with the number of ED visits in mainland Portugal and each of its regions. We collected data on ED visits from March 2020 to March 2022. Data on incidence, vaccination, mobility, containment index, and Google search volume were retrieved from open online sources at different time points. We fitted a quasi-Poisson generalized linear regression model, and each variable was modeled separately and adjusted for time and month. There was a positive ED trend throughout the two years of the pandemic in mainland Portugal and each of its regions. In the mainland, during months with high workplace mobility, there were 10.5% more ED visits compared to months with average mobility. ED visits decreased in months with low mobility for retail and recreation, groceries and pharmacies, and transit compared to months of medium mobility. Portugal saw a reduction in ED utilization during the pandemic period, but with a positive trend from March 2020 to March 2022. The change in the population’s behavior of seeking the ED throughout the pandemic might be associated with mobility, incidence, and pandemic fatigue.
AB - The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the use of emergency departments (ED) worldwide. This study identifies the pandemic-related factors associated with the number of ED visits in mainland Portugal and each of its regions. We collected data on ED visits from March 2020 to March 2022. Data on incidence, vaccination, mobility, containment index, and Google search volume were retrieved from open online sources at different time points. We fitted a quasi-Poisson generalized linear regression model, and each variable was modeled separately and adjusted for time and month. There was a positive ED trend throughout the two years of the pandemic in mainland Portugal and each of its regions. In the mainland, during months with high workplace mobility, there were 10.5% more ED visits compared to months with average mobility. ED visits decreased in months with low mobility for retail and recreation, groceries and pharmacies, and transit compared to months of medium mobility. Portugal saw a reduction in ED utilization during the pandemic period, but with a positive trend from March 2020 to March 2022. The change in the population’s behavior of seeking the ED throughout the pandemic might be associated with mobility, incidence, and pandemic fatigue.
KW - COVID-19 pandemic
KW - emergency department
KW - incidence
KW - Portugal
KW - vaccination
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85146822442&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/ijerph20021207
DO - 10.3390/ijerph20021207
M3 - Article
C2 - 36673960
AN - SCOPUS:85146822442
SN - 1661-7827
VL - 20
JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
IS - 2
M1 - 1207
ER -