Healthcare use among cancer survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic: results from the SHARE COVID-19 Survey
Year: 2024
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: PURPOSE: To estimate the association between a previous cancer diagnosis and healthcare use during the COVID-19 pandemic among Europeans and Israelis individuals. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was based on data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), including the SHARE COVID-19 Survey, which was conducted in the summer of 2020, in 27 countries. Cancer survivors (CS, n = 6409) were country-, sex-, age-, and education-matched (1:2) to non-cancer individuals (NC). Adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were computed using logistic regression. RESULTS: Overall, CS were more likely to refer that they forwent medical appointments due to fear of COVID-19 (OR = 1.29, 95%CI 1.19-1.41) than NC, particularly those who lived with their partner and other relatives (OR = 1.79, 95%CI 1.39-2.30). Likewise, CS had their medical appointments postponed more often (OR = 1.54, 95%CI 1.44-1.64); this association was stronger among CS who lived with their partner and other relatives (OR = 1.96, 95%CI 1.63-2.36) who reported higher economic difficulties (OR = 1.73, 95%CI 1.50-2.00) and those with no multimorbidity (OR = 1.85, 95%CI 1.62-2.11). CS were also more likely to refer that they were unable to book an appointment (OR = 1.43, 95%CI 1.26-1.63), particularly those who reported that a person close to them died due to COVID-19 (OR = 2.72, 95%CI 1.47-5.01). CONCLUSION: CS were more likely to forgo medical treatment, report healthcare postponements, and be unable to book an appointment than NC, which highlights the importance of closely monitoring the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic along the cancer care continuum.
Source: Supportive Care in Cancer
Authors: Ana Sofia Pimentel, Ana Rute Costa
Language: English
Subfield: Oncology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,490
Awards: Social Sciences & Humanities Open Cloud, G1178032220, G1237079599, G1558485097, G1565542540, The impact of hearing loss correction as part of multiple non-pharmacological interventions to prevent cognitive decline, G1608581485, G1708035608, G24207250, Unidade de Investigação em Epidemiologia - Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, G2881429984, G288447808, G4165969582, G4772691083, Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e translacional em Saúde Populacional, G5021238699, G504669776, Data Service Infrastructure for the Social Sciences and Humanities, G5207492846, G6053673296, G6997658380, G751768989, DEVELOPING AN ISRAELI VERSION OF THE HRS/SHARE PROJECT, Enhancing the Comparability of SHARE with HRS and ELSA, G8072554765, G8137569311, G8677177991, Longitudinal Enhancement and Access imProvement of the SHARE infrastructure, G93458789
OpenAlex ID: W4403280763