Although the corona measures lead to some positive developments in general practice (more digital consultations and more time for physical visits), many northern patients felt that they were not always welcome at their doctor. This has emerged from research led by UMCG epidemiologist Lilian Peters.
The research shows that patients stayed away for various reasons. Fear of infection with COVID-19 or wanting to relieve the burden on the healthcare system are mentioned. But patients also often had the feeling that they were not welcome at their GP. And contacting people with complaints is important, because according to general practitioner and researcher Maarten Homburg, the postponement of this type of routine care entails risks: “It is therefore very important that general practitioner care remains accessible and that care for other conditions can also continue. go at a time of great pressure on the health care system”.
The research is therefore intended to learn lessons from the corona pandemic for new outbreaks of COVID-19 or other diseases. Homburg says: “It is important to know how patients have experienced these changes, so that we can learn from them in the future. What changes do patients want to see and what should we prevent?”
The research, led by UMCG researchers, took place in collaboration with Nivel, Radboud UMC and Maastricht UMC and is part of a large-scale study into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on general practitioner care in the Netherlands.