Implications for residential care and home care providers and village operators.
GPs are warning that there will be a second wave of coronavirus infections and hospital admissions from mid-June to mid-July as social distancing restrictions ease – with more people with chronic conditions heading to hospital after failing to seek their usual ongoing medical care during the pandemic.
The survey of over 1,000 general practices in NSW and Victoria led by the University’s Director of Outcome Health, Associate Professor Christopher Pearce, also found there will be an increase of patients presenting with diseases that are normally kept in check with screening such as diabetes and cervical cancer, with this wave expected between August and January 2021.
Australians with chronic conditions who have not visited their GPs with minor problems which will worsen, exacerbating the “second wave” that is likely to hit hospitals next month, the report states.
This increase will coincide with the peak of the influenza season – despite the 88% increase in the number of flu vaccinations this season compared to last year.
A number of aged care and village operators have been using telehealth to provide medical care to their residents after COVID-related telehealth Medicare Benefit Schedule claim numbers were put in place on 13 March with a number for general medical consults a fortnight later.
But the report found the number of telehealth consultations remained consistent at around 40%, with only 2% of consults using video.
Given the challenges in delivering care without seeing the patient, the findings raise questions about the level of medical care being provided during the pandemic – and the effect this could have on residents with chronic conditions.
