Journal Article

The Impact of the SARS Epidemic on the Utilization of Medical Services: SARS and the Fear of SARS

Hsieh, Chi-Jeng, Hsu, Yea-Jen, Lee, Cheng-Hua, Huang, Nicole, Chou, Yiing-Jenq, Chang, Hong-Jen

2004

Overview

Using interrupted time-series analysis and National Health Insurance data between January 2000 and August 2003, this study assessed the impacts of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic on medical service utilization in Taiwan. At the peak of the SARS epidemic, significant reductions in ambulatory care (23.9%), inpatient care (35.2%), and dental care (16.7%) were observed. People’s fears of SARS appear to have had strong impacts on access to care. Adverse health outcomes resulting from accessibility barriers posed by the fear of SARS should not be overlooked.

• Publisher: Am Public Health Assoc,American Public Health Association,American Journal of Public Health 2004
• Subject: Access / Ambulatory care / Ambulatory Care - economics / Ambulatory Care - statistics & numerical data / Ambulatory Care - trends / Ambulatory health care / Analysis. Health state / Biological and medical sciences / Clinical outcomes / Coronaviruses / Cost of Illness / Dental care / Dental Care - economics / Dental Care - statistics & numerical data / Dental Care - trends / Disease Outbreaks - economics / Disease Outbreaks - statistics & numerical data / Disease transmission / Emergency medical services / Epidemics / Epidemiology / Expenditures / Fear / Fear & phobias / Forecasting / General aspects / Health care access / Health care industry / Health care policy / Health Expenditures - statistics & numerical data / Health Expenditures - trends / Health insurance / Health services / Health Services - economics / Health Services - statistics & numerical data / Health Services - trends / Health Services Accessibility - economics / Health Services Accessibility - statistics & numerical data / Health Services Accessibility - trends / Health Services Research / Health services utilization / Health status / Hospitalization - economics / Hospitalization - statistics & numerical data / Hospitalization - trends / Hospitals / Human viral diseases / Humans / Infectious diseases / Inpatient care / Insurance Claim Reporting - economics / Insurance Claim Reporting - statistics & numerical data / Insurance Claim Reporting - trends / Longitudinal Studies / Medical personnel / Medical sciences / Medicine / Medicine, Chinese Traditional - trends / National health insurance / National Health Programs - economics / National Health Programs - statistics & numerical data / National Health Programs - trends / Patient Acceptance of Health Care - psychology / Patient Acceptance of Health Care - statistics & numerical data / Population Surveillance / Public health / Public health. Hygiene / Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine / Regression Analysis / Research and Practice / SARS coronavirus / Seasons / Severe acute respiratory syndrome / Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - economics / Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - epidemiology / Taiwan - epidemiology / Traditional Chinese medicine / Trends / Viral diseases / Viral diseases of the respiratory system and ent viral diseases