Table 2:

Rate ratios (RRs) for adult asthma-related encounters by time periods and weekly intervals considered. Models compared weekly intervals of 2020 and 2021-2014 to corresponding weekly intervals in pre-pandemic years (2017–2019). Encounter counts for each outcome (Refill, Telemedicine, Telephone, Outpatient, and Emergency) across relevant weekly intervals are presented as RR (95% CI) from generalized linear regression models. Combined effects were calculated using estimated marginal means with Dunnett adjustment for multiple comparisons (critical p-value = 0.0085, α = 0.05) using the pre-pandemic (2017-2019) weekly intervals as reference.

Encounter Type (N)	Weeks 1–8 RR (95% CI)	p-value	Weeks 9–18 RR (95% CI)	p-value	Weeks 19–52 RR (95% CI)	p-value
Refill (64,138)
2017–2019	1.00 (ref)		1.00 (ref)		1.00 (ref)
2020	1.32 (1.10–1.58)	0.001	2.23 (1.96–2.55)	<0.001	1.42 (1.31–1.54)	<0.001
2021–2024	2.02 (1.79–2.27)	<0.001	1.90 (1.72–2.11)	<0.001	1.74 (1.65–1.84)	<0.001
Telemedicine (10,175)
2017–2019	1.00 (ref)		1.00 (ref)		1.00 (ref)
2020	4.64 (0.33–64.47)	0.333	365.45 (46.68–2860.95)	<0.001	138.69 (55.01–349.69)	<0.001
2021–2024	75.65 (9.64–593.48)	<0.001	61.15 (7.78–480.26)	<0.001	28.07 (11.11–70.90)	<0.001
Telephone (23,306)
2017–2019	1.00 (ref)		1.00 (ref)		1.00 (ref)
2020	0.88 (0.70–1.10)	0.338	2.00 (1.70–2.35)	<0.001	1.20 (1.07–1.34)	0.001
2021–2024	1.12 (0.98–1.29)	0.120	1.16 (1.02–1.32)	0.020	1.25 (1.16–1.35)	<0.001
Outpatient (66,729)
2017–2019	1.00 (ref)		1.00 (ref)		1.00 (ref)
2020	0.97 (0.72–1.29)	0.939	0.35 (0.24–0.52)	<0.001	0.43 (0.35–0.54)	<0.001
2021–2024	0.57 (0.46–0.71)	<0.001	0.67 (0.55–0.80)	<0.001	0.71 (0.64–0.79)	<0.001
Emergency (11,259)
2017–2019	1.00 (ref)		1.00 (ref)		1.00 (ref)
2020	1.19 (0.91–1.57)	0.271	0.88 (0.68–1.15)	0.481	0.68 (0.58–0.80)	<0.001
2021–2024	0.82 (0.67–1.00)	0.051	0.94 (0.79–1.11)	0.597	0.92 (0.84–1.01)	0.110