Nearly Half of Americans Are Delaying Medical Care Due to the Pandemic
A Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that 48% of Americans said they or a family member has skipped or delayed medical care because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and 11% of them said the person’s condition worsened as a result of the delayed care. Medical groups have noted a sharp drop-off in emergency patients across the country. Some, including the American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Cardiology, and American Heart Association, have publicly urged people concerned about their health to seek care.
According to the poll, nearly 7 in 10 of those who had skipped seeing a medical professional expect to get care in the next three months. Unfortunately for many physicians, patients are not returning to the doctor’s office fast enough. Physicians of all kinds, and particularly those who own and operate their own private practices, are struggling to survive as the downturn in patient visits continues to create overwhelming financial hardships.
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AzAAP Launches “Back to the Office” Campaign as Pediatrician Visits Plummet
Up to 80% of Arizona’s children are not seeing their pediatrician right now, according to findings released by the Arizona chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, or AzAAP. As a result, AzAAP is launching its “Back to the Office” campaign to boost the number of children checking in with their local pediatrician, even if it is done virtually. The American Academy of Pediatrics launched its own “Call Your Pediatrician!” campaign earlier this week.
The outbreak of COVID-19 in Arizona has not only disrupted immunization schedules but also delayed children from receiving the care they need for ongoing health problems. Doctors are seeing flare-ups of asthma, diabetes, and other chronic conditions because of missed visits, says Dr. Sean Elliott, a Tucson pediatrician and member of the academy. Delayed or skipped newborn health checkups, which might include screenings for jaundice and failure to thrive, can pose life-or-death risks for an infant.
Elliott, an infectious-disease specialist, says pediatricians are also seeing an increase in the number of children and teens needing professional help for pandemic-related mental-health problems brought on by stress, fear, and social isolation.
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SURVEY: What Federal Financial Assistance Have You Received Due to COVID-19?
Key policymakers in both the legislative and executive branches have asked us to help gather important information. Are you a physician who has received federal financial assistance to help keep you or your practice going during these challenging times? Is the aid sufficient? Click here to fill out a short survey so we can get a better picture of the financial circumstances of Arizona physicians during the COVID-19 public health emergency.