Evaluation of Patients aged over 65 years who applied to Ankara Training and Research Hospital Family Medicine Outpatient Clinics: Comparison Before and After Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Aim: Taking into account the importance and priority of the geriatric age group, the aim of our study was to examine the reasons for and the number of visits to primary health care institutions, to compare them before and after the Covid-19 pandemic, and to draw attention to the importance of geriatric sciences in family medicine specialty training in the light of this evaluation.
 
 Materials and Methods: Patients who applied to the Ankara Training and Research Hospital (EAH) Family Medicine Outpatient Clinics between 01.03.2020-31.12.2022 constitute the population of the study. Patients were retrospectively evaluated before and after the Covid-19 pandemic according to their admission rates and diagnoses. The outpatient clinics they applied to were analyzed. Musculoskeletal system problems were analyzed under a separate heading according to diagnoses.
 Results: Out of 47014 diagnoses above the age of 65 during the pandemic period, I10 - Essential (Primary) Hypertension was the most common diagnosis, except for general medical examinations and screening examinations. In the post-Covid-19 period, 45928 diagnoses were made in 14398 patients over the age of 65. After general medical and laboratory examinations, the most common diagnose was I10 Essential Hypertension in both period. Musculoskeletal complaint during the pandemic period was the second most common with the diagnosis of M79.1 Myalgia in both period. Musculoskeletal complaints especially myalgia was more common in the pandemic period than the post-covid period (p