Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on secondary care for cardiovascular disease in the UK: an electronic health record analysis across three countries
Authors' conclusion
The present study highlights increasing emergency cardiovascular admissions during the pandemic, in the context of a substantial and sustained reduction in elective admissions and procedures.
Study context
- Population
- Hospital admissions and procedures for six major CV conditions (acute coronary syndrome (ACS), heart failure (HF), stroke/TIA, peripheral arterial disease (PAD), aortic aneurysm, venous thromboembolism (VTE)) in England, Scotland and Wales, 2016–21
- Exposure
- Pandemic vs pre-pandemic annual average
- Outcome
- Hospital admissions for six major cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) combined vs 2016-19 average
Methodological detailsnational administrative electronic hospital records, England, Scotland and Wales
- National administrative electronic hospital records
- England, Scotland and Wales
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- 2020: fewer admissions overall
- 31 064 (−6%)
- 2020: fewer emergency admissions
- 14 506 (−4%)
- 2020: fewer elective admissions
- 16 560 (−23%)
- 2021: fewer elective admissions
- −10 996 (−15%)
- 2021: higher than expected emergency admissions (notably HF and stroke in England, VTE in all three countries)
- +25 878 (+6%)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Procedures
- Similar temporal variations to admissions
Original publication
Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on secondary care for cardiovascular disease in the UK: an electronic health record analysis across three countries. Eur Heart J Qual Care Clin Outcomes. Published 16 November 2022. doi:10.
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it