Table 3.
Changes in GP practices due to the COVID-19 pandemic in participants recruited in the province of Verona on May 2020 (n = 215).
| n | % | |
|---|---|---|
| Did COVID-19 affect your clinical practice? | ||
| No | 6 | 2.8 |
| Yes | 209 | 97.2 |
| If YES, in what way? (respondents were allowed to give more than 1 response) | ||
| Kept a greater distance with patients | 185 | 88.5 |
| Insisted every patient wear a mask | 179 | 85.6 |
| Specialist appointments postponed/canceled | 148 | 70.8 |
| Appointments postponed/canceled | 103 | 49.3 |
| Difficult/unable to make specialist referrals | 101 | 48.3 |
| Longer waiting time for labs and investigations | 98 | 46.9 |
| Surgical procedures postponed/canceled | 81 | 38.8 |
| Reduced visit duration | 68 | 32.5 |
| Tested patient temperature as a routine practice | 63 | 30.1 |
| Avoided physical examinations | 44 | 21.1 |
| Over-prescribed antibiotics | 36 | 17.2 |
| Did COVID-19 affect your patients’ behavior? | ||
| No | 6 | 2.8 |
| Yes | 209 | 97.2 |
| If YES, in what way? (respondents were allowed to give more than 1 response) | ||
| Fewer doctor visits | 173 | 83.2 |
| More doctor visits | 4 | 1.9 |
| More visits for depression/anxiety/insomnia | 84 | 40.2 |
| More patients hesitant to go to A&E after being advised to go | 107 | 51.2 |
| More appointment cancelations | 41 | 19.6 |
| Did you close your clinic due to COVID-19? (2 missing) | ||
| No | 202 | 94.8 |
| Yes | 11 | 5.2 |
| Did telephone consultations have a negative impact on your personal life? (8 missing) | ||
| No | 11 | 5.3 |
| Yes | 196 | 94.7 |
| If YES, in what way? (respondents were allowed to give more than 1 response) (2 missing) | ||
| Receiving phone calls around the clock | 126 | 64.3 |
| No time for personal and family issues | 44 | 22.4 |
| Remaining on-call beyond regular work hours | 158 | 80.6 |
| What is your opinion on the use of new technologies in clinical practice? (9 missing) | ||
| I find new technologies useful; I have been using them even before the pandemic | 33 | 16.0 |
| I have no problem with new technologies, but I think their use has abnormally increased during the pandemic | 107 | 51.9 |
| New technologies may be useful; I am slowly getting used to them | 40 | 19.4 |
| I find the use of new technologies problematic, as it is difficult to deal with all patients’ requests | 26 | 12.6 |