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.