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Review
. 2021 Mar;64(3):277-284.
doi: 10.1007/s00103-021-03282-4. Epub 2021 Feb 12.

["I better stay at home…"-health system decisions to support the use of routine healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic]

[Article in German]
Eva Maria Bitzer  1 , Lena Ansmann  2 , Madlen Hörold  3 , Lisa Lyssenko  4 , Christian Apfelbacher  3
Affiliations
Review

["I better stay at home…"-health system decisions to support the use of routine healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic]

[Article in German]
Eva Maria Bitzer et al. Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz. 2021 Mar.

Abstract
in English, German

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, sharp disruptions of healthcare utilization for noncommunicable diseases were observed to some extent because of people's fear of infection. We undertook a review of German healthcare institutions asking: To what extent were people supported in their decisions (not) to seek medical care for health problems other than COVID-19?

Methods: Content analysis of the websites of the members of the Association of Scientific Medical Societies (AWMF; n = 179), the association of statutory (dental) health insurance physicians (K(Z)Vs; n = 38), selected health insurances (n = 21), selected healthcare institutions (n = 25), and supraregional health information providers (n = 5) for information and offers that address people with noncommunicable diseases.

Results: The examined websites provide information about COVID-19, but only rarely about how to behave in the case of another (suspected) disease regarding healthcare utilization. Two health information provider portals, one health insurance company, but none of the KVs offer explicit decision support. KVs refer more often, but not consistently, to the general possibility of video consulting.

Discussion: Information concerning the topic is scarce for most of the patients. In the face of the ongoing pandemic, it is important to expand existing, trustworthy, high-quality information and advisory capacities to increase their profile in order to enable health-literate decisions even during a pandemic.

Zusammenfassung: HINTERGRUND: In der COVID-19-Pandemie ging die Versorgung nichtübertragbarer Erkrankungen zeitweise deutlich zurück, auch weil Menschen Angst vor einer Ansteckung hatten. Wir führen eine Bestandsaufnahme zur organisationalen Gesundheitskompetenz in der Regelversorgung nichtübertragbarer Erkrankungen in der ersten Welle der COVID-19-Pandemie durch und fragen: Inwiefern wurden Menschen mit gesundheitlichen Beschwerden dabei unterstützt, gesundheitskompetente Entscheidungen für oder gegen die Inanspruchnahme von Versorgungsleistungen zu treffen?

Methodik: Strukturierende Inhaltsanalyse der Internetpräsenzen der Mitglieder der Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlich Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften (AWMF; n = 179), der kassen(zahn)ärztlichen Vereinigungen (K(Z)Ven; n = 38), ausgewählter Krankenkassen (n = 21), ausgewählter Behandlungseinrichtungen (n = 25) und überregionaler Anbieter von Gesundheitsinformationen (n = 5) zu Informationen und Angeboten zum Thema.

Ergebnisse: Die geprüften Internetpräsenzen informieren weitgehend rund um COVID-19, aber nur selten darüber, wie man sich bei einer (vermuteten) anderen Erkrankung in Bezug auf die Inanspruchnahme von Versorgungsleistungen verhält. 2 Portale von Anbietern von Gesundheitsinformationen, eine Krankenkasse, aber keine der KVen bieten explizite Entscheidungshilfen an. KVen weisen öfter, aber nicht durchgängig auf die generelle Möglichkeit von Videosprechstunden hin.

Diskussion: Für die meisten Patient*innen gab es damit keine gezielten Informationen zu dem Thema. Angesichts der Fortdauer der COVID-19-Pandemie gilt es, vorhandene vertrauenswürdige, qualitativ hochwertige Informations- und Beratungskapazitäten auszubauen und ihre Bekanntheit zu erhöhen, um gesundheitskompetente Entscheidungen auch in der Pandemie zu ermöglichen.

Keywords: Decision support; Health information; Health literacy; Health-literate healthcare; Healthcare system.

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