Abstract
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to estimate the possible impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the hospitalization and hospital mortality of the patients with gallstone disease and chronic liver diseases (CLD) in the worst pandemic period in Ukraine.Design/methodology/approachA retrospective comparative analysis of annual reports data of all economy subjects, which conducted economic activity in medical practice for 2019 and 2021. Data was accepted from the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC) and the State Statistics Service of Ukraine (SSSU).FindingsThe total hospitalization rates for diffuse liver disease and cholelithiasis significantly decreased during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine, compared to the values of 2019. At the same time, the rates of in-hospital mortality for these diseases have significantly grown. Also, various proportions of similar trends were described in other countries during the first wave of the pandemic.Originality/valueThis paper highlights the fact that regulatory restrictions and the fear of the population of referring to healthcare facilities considering the high risk of getting an infection had significant disruption to medical care for patients with gallstone disease and CLD. Improving the management of medical resources and strengthening all kinds of institutions in the healthcare system must be thought about if similar challenges appear in the future.
Subject
Health Policy,Business, Management and Accounting (miscellaneous)
Reference20 articles.
1. Betlii, O., Dzhigyr, Y., Kovtonyuk, P., Novosad, A. and Panchenko, Y. (2021), “Health and education: how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected access to public services in Ukraine: analytical review, NGO ‘Holon Initiative’, Kyiv”. available at: https://nus.org.ua/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Analitychnyy-oglyad.pdf (accessed 20 February 2023).
2. Estimation of the prevalence of chronic liver diseases among urban adults,2023
3. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on liver disease-related mortality rates in the United States;Journal of Hepatology,2023
4. Use of telemedicine for chronic liver disease at a single care center during the COVID-19 pandemic: prospective observational study;Journal of Medical Internet Research,2020