Impact of post-COVID-19 changes in outpatient chronic patients’ healthcare-seeking behaviors on medical utilization and health outcomes

Introduction This study comprehensively investigates the changes in healthcare utilization among chronic patients with regular outpatient visits to hospitals after the occurrence of Covid-19. The research examines whether patients altered their originally regular medical attendance frequencies due to the pandemic and explores potential negative impacts on the health conditions of those irregular attendees post-pandemic. Methods Data for this study were sourced from a database at a medical center in Taiwan. The subjects were chronic patients with regular hospital outpatient visits before the Covid-19 outbreak. The study tracked medical utilization patterns from 2017 to 2022 for different patient characteristics and outpatient behaviors, employing statistical methods such as Repeated Measures ANOVA and Generalized Estimating Equation to analyze changes in healthcare utilization and health status during the post-pandemic period. Results The results reveal that, compared to the regular group, chronic patients with irregular outpatient visits during the post-pandemic period exhibited a decrease of 5.85 annual outpatient visits, a reduction of NT$20,290.1 in annual medical expenses, and a significantly higher abnormality rate in average biochemical test results by 0.9%. Conclusions The findings contribute to understanding the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on healthcare utilization and health conditions among outpatient chronic disease populations. In response to the new medical landscape in the post-pandemic era, proactive suggestions are made, including providing telemedicine outpatient services and referral-based medical care to meet the needs of the target population, ensuring a continuous and reassuring healthcare model for chronic patients, and mitigating the operational impacts of public health emergencies on hospitals.