Missed Vaccines, Skipped Colonoscopies: Preventive Care Plummets and has not recovered

[Demovictory9]

Missed Vaccines, Skipped Colonoscopies: Preventive Care Plummets
Nonurgent medical procedures have seemed worth postponing in a pandemic. This could pose long-term risks, health officials fear.

When the coronavirus pandemic hit, Americans vastly scaled back their preventive health care, and there is little sign that this deferred care will be made up.

Vaccinations dropped by nearly 60 percent in April, and almost no one was getting a colonoscopy, according to new data from the nonprofit Health Care Cost Institute.

The data, drawn from millions of health insurance claims, shows a consistent pattern, whether it was prostate screenings or contraceptives: Preventive care declined drastically this spring and, as of late June, had not yet recovered to normal levels. Many types of such care were still down by a third at the start of this summer, the most recent data available shows, as Americans remained wary of visiting hospitals and medical offices.

“The thing that jumped out at me was how similar all the patterns were,” said Niall Brennan, the institute’s president. “The bottom was deeper for some services than others, but the slope of the lines was pretty similar no matter what service you picked.”

Americans continued seeking care they couldn’t avoid — hospital admissions for childbirth, for example, held steady — but skipped care they could put off. More invasive preventive procedures, such as mammograms and colonoscopies, showed the greatest decline.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/11/upshot/pandemic-decline-preventive-care.html?action=click&algo=bandit-all-surfaces&block=trending_recirc&fellback=false&imp_id=482658010&impression_id=b3236635-f85d-11ea-91c9-836a9f5c3fbc&index=5&pgtype=Article&region=footer&req_id=157650911&surface=most-popular

[RazzleCat]

1. It's all covid but

notice the procedures most missed were the ones we dread the most, the mammogram, and colonoscopies. I had a mammogram scheduled at the start that was canceled by the provider, and at the same time rescheduled for 4 weeks later. I did manage to make that appointment.

All this to say, most of us don't want the above, so if you can find a legitimate reason to cancel, you most likely will. fyi the only reason I was so quick on the mammogram is because I have a history of troublesome boobs, so I am pretty adamant about getting my 2x a year mammogram (yes that's right twice a year, ain't I lucky)

[ResistantAmerican17]

2. That's me. Plus one. Postponing colonoscopy, and not having surgery for a torn abdominal muscle.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

3. I got a colonoscopy in back in February, just before all hell broke loose. NT

[ResistantAmerican17]

4. Well played.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

6. I had to go through the prep twice. The first time was insufficient.

I had my suspicions just before the test. I paid one last visit to the restroom at the doctor's office. I thought, "shouldn't it be clearer than that?" I was right. I had to come back in a few weeks, this time after the more stringent prep.

It was probably my fault. There are so many steps involved. I must have missed one.

[ResistantAmerican17]

8. Ahhh ... that wonderful prep. When you fear you are melting from the inside.

[MissB]

10. You can ask

your primary care dr (assuming your have one) if you can do the alternative test instead.

That one involves sending in a fecal sample (they send the collection kit plus prepaid envelope). Downside is it is once a year. Upside is you don’t have to go in and you don’t have to do the prep.

[ResistantAmerican17]

11. I've wondered about something like that. Thx

[In_The_Wind]

5. Whoops

[mahatmakanejeeves]

7. I got my flu shot and my second shingles shot on Monday. I'm close enough to the nearest branch of

KP that I went down there on my bicycle.

[womanofthehills]

9. I'm definitely missing my dental checkup

And moving an ortho apt back a few more months.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

12. Wish I knew if labcorp

Was taking people for labs.

I have tests to get done.
Anyone know if LabCorp labs are open in Maryland?

[Blue_true]

14. LabCorp never closed in Florida.

It went to limiting the number of people in at one time. Your Doctor should know about the Maryland ones, since the Doctor does the test request. Give your Doctor’s office a call.

[Rice4VP]

13. We have pushed back dental appointments

several times but got flu shots today.