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. 2020 Nov 17;50(2):317–325. doi: 10.1093/ageing/afaa260

Table 1 .

Utilisation of healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany in 2020 compared to corresponding periods in 2019

Pre-pandemic intervala Pandemic intervala
Februaryb Marchc Aprild Maye f
Utilisation of healthcare services, n (%) 2019 2020 Diff. (%) 2019 2020 Diff. (%) 2019 2020 Diff. (%) 2019 2020 Diff. (%) Diff. (%)
Numbers (n) in thousands
Number of consultations
  GPs, internal medicine specialists 592.4 579.7 -2% 603.6 691.1 +15% 643 549 −15% 632 544 −14% −4%
  Orthopaedists 53.0 52.6 −1% 52.8 45.8 −13% 55.1 37.8 −31% 57.4 46.3 −19% −16%
  Diabetologists 29.0 29.0 0% 29.1 32.1 +12% 31.0 28.0 −10% 30.3 28.0 −8% −1%
  Psychiatrists/neurologists 32.9 32.7 −1% 32.6 36.7 +13% 34.9 28.7 −18% 35.0 31.0 −12% −5%
  Urologists 32.5 32.2 −1% 31.8 31.8 0% 32.0 26.1 −18% 33.7 29.3 −13% −8%
  Dermatologists 32.0 29.9 −7% 33.1 28.6 −14% 31.4 21.0 −33% 32.8 27.1 17% −18%
  ENT specialists 29.8 28.8 −4% 29.5 24.1 −18% 29.3 17.7 −40% 29.8 23.1 −23% −21%
  Gynaecologists 16.3 16.1 −1% 16.6 16.0 −4% 16.2 11.8 −27% 17.7 14.3 −19% −13%
Specialists referrals
  GP, internal medicine specialists 76.1 70.4 −7% 63.6 50.8 −20% 104.5 68.7 −34% 79.3 67.9 −14% −20%
  Orthopaedists 7.7 7.5 −3% 7.2 5.5 −24% 8.9 5.3 −40% 8.4 6.9 −17% −22%
  Diabetologists 6.1 5.7 −6% 5.2 4.3 −16% 7.8 5.0 −36% 6.3 5.0 −21% −21%
  Psychiatrists/neurologists 1.9 1.9 +1% 1.8 1.3 −23% 2.3 1.4 −40% 2.1 1.7 −21% −22%
Urologists 5.5 5.1 −5% 5.7 4.8 −16% 5.4 4.0 −26% 5.6 4.1 −10% −14%
  Dermatologists 5.2 5.0 −5% 5.1 4.4 −14% 5.2 3.1 −39% 5.3 4.4 −18% −19%
  ENT specialists 2.4 1.9 −15% 1.9 1.4 −27% 2.5 1.3 −48% 2.3 1.8 −21% −28%
  Gynaecologists 3.8 4.0 +6% 3.3 3.1 −7% 4.7 2.8 −41% 4.1 3.8 −8% −14%
Hospital admissions
  GP, internal medicine specialists 8.3 5.7 −32% 7.9 4.4 −43% 9.1 4.9 −46% 8.3 4.5 −46% −45%
  Orthopaedists 1.2 1.0 −14% 1.1 0.7 −36% 1.1 0.6 −51% 1.1 0.8 −30% −32%
  Diabetologist 0.6 0.4 −29% 0.6 0.3 −49% 0.6 0.4 −39% 0.6 0.3 −50% −42%
  Psychiatrists/neurologists 0.5 0.4 −19% 0.4 0.2 −46% 0.5 0.2 −52% 0.5 0.3 −42% −40%
  Urologists 1.0 0.8 −18% 0.9 0.6 −29% 1.1 0.6 −41% 1.0 0.7 −28% −29%
  Dermatologists 0.2 0.2 −14% 0.2 0.1 −51% 0.3 0.1 −64% 0.3 0.2 −45% −45%
  ENT specialists 0.3 0.3 +3% 0.3 0.2 −24% 0.4 0.2 −44% 0.4 0.2 −34% −26%
  Gynaecologists 0.3 0.2 −19% 0.2 0.2 −5% 0.3 0.1 −55% 0.3 0.2 −34% −31%

aAccording to Holloway et al. [25].

bFebruary: less than 200 SARS-CoV-2 infections.

c50,000 at the end of March.

d125,000 at the end of April.

eMore than 180,000 at the end of May.

fFebruary–May.