Non-communicable diseases care during COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Background & objectives : During any public health emergency, a need-based national non-communicable diseases (NCD) preparedness plan is essential. People living with NCDs could face challenges owing to restricted mobility, low access to medical care and suboptimal logistics during the pandemic. The present study explored the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on NCD care in a district of Odisha State of India. Methods : This study was carried out during May-June 2020 in the Khurda district of Odisha. A community-based explanatory mixed-method study was followed. Data collection comprised 12 in-depth interviews and 491 structured interviews using Likert-questionnaire with individuals having at least one NCD. Mantel-Haenszel's Chi-square test was used to assess the difference in the effect of COVID-19 on the routine NCD care. Qualitative data were analyzed by content analysis. Results : Findings revealed that nearly two-thirds of participants encountered challenges in their routine investigation (69%), day-care procedures (67%) and reaching hospital (61%). Around half of them reported having trouble in doctor appointments (59%), emergency treatment (56%), access to the pharmacy (47%) and delay in healthcare (46%). Thirty seven per cent perceived that they could not access care because of social restriction/lockdown, 29 per cent attributed arranging finance as a constraint to visiting hospitals and 16 per cent avoided going to the hospital, fearing COVID-19 infection. Interpretation & conclusions : Our findings showed that people with chronic NCDs faced multiple challenges in accessing health care during the pandemic. A cohesive doctor-pharmacy-patient engagement is vital for managing NCD care during a pandemic. During emergencies, changes in dispensing practices and service provision closer to the patients are crucial. Additionally, health literacy and home-based NCD management should be encouraged.

Was access and quality of healthcare affected during COVID-19 pandemic? A qualitative enquiry into healthcare access for non-communicable diseases in Central India

“…In our study, we found that PLNCDs across socio-economic strata faced significant challenges when they tried to physically access healthcare, which is similar to findings in other studies from India (11) and elsewhere (16). Uniquely however, we also found that many a times access was restricted due to lack of financial resources, which rendered securing private consultations and procuring medications out of reach (17).…”

“…A rapid survey by WHO assessing NCD access in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions found that access to outpatient NCD services was interrupted in 59% countries (10). Studies from India (11) and other LMICs have also found decreased utilization of NCD services with the advent of COVID-19 (12,13). However, there is limited information on the impact of COVID-19 on NCD healthcare provision and access from India.…”

Perceived impact of COVID-19 on routine care of patients with chronic diseases in Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

“…Data collection tools: a pre-tested, structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used for data collection which contained three parts including socio-demographic characteristics, clinical and treatment related characteristics and were used to assess the perceived impact of COVID-19 on routine care which was adapted and modified from different literature [ 3 - 6 ]. Perceived impact of COVID-19 was measured by 5-items [ 7 ] and each item score was summed up and finally described as described in Table 3 . The instrument was translated to the Afaan Oromo and Amharic versions by experts who were fluent in both languages and back translated to English for consistency.…”

“…Perceived impact of COVID-19: was measured by 5-items [ 7 ] and each item score was summed up and finally described as described in the Table 3 .…”

Managing dementia care during COVID-19 pandemic: caregivers’ experiences in Odisha, India

“…The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has diverted the focus of health systems towards containing the spread of infection, thus concomitantly resulting in disruptions in health services delivery for chronic diseases to a large extent. Our community-based studies on the management of non-communicable diseases (NCD) during COVID-19 lockdown have revealed that people of higher age, having mental illness had significantly more significant care challenges (Pati et al, 2020b;Sahoo et al, 2020). The presence of dementia and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic pose considerable concerns for the elderly.…”