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. 2024 Mar 14:15:1360529.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1360529. eCollection 2024.

Short- and long-term effects of Covid-19 pandemic on health care system for individuals with eating disorders

Margherita Boltri  1 , Federico Brusa  1 , Emanuela Apicella  1 , Leonardo Mendolicchio  1
Affiliations

Short- and long-term effects of Covid-19 pandemic on health care system for individuals with eating disorders

Margherita Boltri et al. Front Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Introduction: The Covid-19 pandemic and its consequences have negatively impacted the incidence of EDs, determining a substantial burden on patients, caregivers and healthcare systems world-wide. This literature review aims to investigate the short- and long-term effects of the pandemic on care provider systems, exploring the possibility of "rethinking" ED care programs.

Methods: Records were systematically (following the PRISMA guidelines) identified through PubMed, Google Scholar and Scopus searching.

Results: The Covid-19 pandemic led to an abrupt and substantial increase in pediatric and adolescent ED visits and hospital admissions. Despite a decline in the second-year post-onset, absolute visit volumes remained elevated relative to pre-pandemic levels. Barriers to access specialist ED care have emerged, including socio-economic status and a lack of public outpatient services. Consequently, this situation has prompted healthcare providers to explore innovative bridge plans and multidisciplinary telehealth solutions to face such challenges.

Discussion: Challenges in insurance shifts, treatment disruptions and discharge planning underscore the need for comprehensive strategies in ED care. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of adopting multidisciplinary approaches, implementing location-specific plans, and integrating telehealth to effectively address the evolving challenges posed by the pandemic and enhance the efficiency of ED specialist care programs.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; eating disorders; healthcare system; short-and long-term effects; systematic literature review.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA 2020 flow diagram for systematic reviews (18).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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