Table 2.
Referrals, appointments, and procedure volumes across study periods in 2020.
| Period (2020) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-COVID | COVID-Impacted | De-Escalation | Second Wave | 26 February–30 December | |
| 1 January–25 February | 26 February–28 April | 29 April–30 June | 1 July–30 December | ||
| Referrals | |||||
| Total, n | 176 | 126 | 169 | 504 | 799 |
| Mean (weekly) ± SD | 22.00 ± 3.38 | 14.00 ± 3.46 | 18.78 ± 2.11 | 19.38 ± 2.08 | 18.16 ± 3.19 |
| p-value | 0.6301 | <0.0001 | 0.0149 | 0.0009 | <0.0001 |
| Appointments per case, mean ± SD | 3.13 ± 0.35 | 2.89 ± 0.60 | 3.00 ± 0.50 | 3.23 ± 0.43 | 3.11 ± 0.49 |
| p-value | >0.9999 | 0.4442 | 0.6755 | 0.5380 | 0.8321 |
|
Ratio of successive/first visits, mean ± SD |
1.98 ± 0.23 | 1.77 ± 0.54 | 1.90 ± 0.48 | 2.08 ± 0.37 | 1.98 ± 0.44 |
| Ratio of telehealth/total visits, % | 0.37 | 58.51 | 30.27 | 17.67 | 33.56 |
| Diagnostic procedure | |||||
| GI endoscopy/USE | |||||
| Number per period (vs. 2019) | 68 (vs. 69) | 43 (vs. 76) | 58 (vs. 77) | 184 (vs. 227) | 285 (vs. 380) |
| Mean ± SD | 8.50 ± 1.41 | 4.78 ± 2.17 | 6.44 ± 1.74 | 7.08 ± 1.81 | 6.48 ± 2.04 |
| Percent reduction (95% CI) | −3.17 (−21.97–15.62) | 42.04 (22.66–61.42) | 24.18 (14.26–34.09) | 14.24 (5.73–22.75) | 21.96 (14.97–28.95) |
| p-value | 0.9022 | 0.0058 | 0.0324 | 0.0187 | <0.0001 |
| CT scan | |||||
| Number per period (vs. 2019) | 57 (vs. 59) | 34 (vs. 63) | 50 (vs. 64) | 152 (vs. 179) | 236 (vs. 306) |
| Mean ± SD | 7.13 ± 1.55 | 3.78 ± 1.20 | 5.56 ± 1.13 | 5.85 ± 1.41 | 5.36 ± 1.53 |
| Percent reduction (95% CI) | 1.19 (−14.96–17.34) | 39.42 (17.75–61.08) | 19.66 (7.58–31.73) | 10.53 (2.65–18.41) | 18.30 (11.20–25.40) |
| p-value | 0.7682 | 0.0009 | 0.0509 | 0.0502 | 0.0001 |
| PET/CT scan | |||||
| Number per period (vs. 2019) | 24 (vs. 26) | 16 (vs. 27) | 23 (vs. 30) | 69 (vs. 82) | 108 (vs. 139) |
| Mean ± SD | 3.00 ± 1.51 | 1.78 ± 1.09 | 2.56 ± 1.13 | 2.65 ± 1.33 | 2.46 ± 1.27 |
| Percent reduction (95% CI) | −4.79 (−57.46–47.88) | 34.45 (6.70–62.19) | 15.56 (−13.77–44.88) | 9.36 (−4.32–23.04) | 15.76 (4.89–26.63) |
| p-value | 0.7166 | 0.0746 | 0.2474 | 0.2111 | 0.0199 |
| Ultrasonography | |||||
| Number per period (vs. 2019) | 45 (vs. 47) | 32 (vs. 50) | 40 (vs. 52) | 122 (vs. 142) | 194 (vs. 244) |
| Mean ± SD | 5.63 ± 2.39 | 3.56 ± 2.19 | 4.44 ± 1.51 | 4.69 ± 1.69 | 4.41 ± 1.78 |
| Percent reduction (95% CI) | 5.00 (−7.99–17.99) | 38.37 (17.36–59.39) | 22.72 (6.00–39.45) | 13.60 (3.23–23.96) | 20.53 (12.45–28.61) |
| p-value | 0.8381 | 0.0412 | 0.0694 | 0.1132 | 0.0024 |
| Invasive procedures | |||||
| Number per period (vs. 2019) | 19 (vs. 20) | 11 (vs. 22) | 13 (vs. 21) | 46 (vs. 60) | 70 (vs. 103) |
| Mean ± SD | 2.38 ± 1.19 | 1.22 ± 0.97 | 1.44 ± 0.53 | 1.77 ± 0.95 | 1.59 ± 0.90 |
| Percent reduction (95% CI) | 2.50 (−25.00–30.00) | 47.22 (17.87–76.58) | 29.63 (6.73–52.53) | 17.37 (5.87–28.87) | 25.99 (16.13–35.84) |
| p-value | 0.8368 | 0.0189 | 0.0314 | 0.0729 | 0.0006 |
| Biopsy/cytology procedures | |||||
| (ambulatory) | |||||
| Number per period (vs. 2019) | 21 (vs. 23) | 13 (vs. 25) | 19 (vs. 26) | 59 (vs. 72) | 91 (vs. 123) |
| Mean ± SD | 2.63 ± 1.06 | 1.44 ± 0.88 | 2.11 ± 0.60 | 2.27 ± 1.00 | 2.07 ± 0.95 |
| Percent reduction (95% CI) | 5.21(−19.75–30.17) | 40.37 (12.00–68.74) | 25.00 (8.05–41.95) | 15.38 (1.70–29.07) | 22.46 (12.33–32.59) |
| p-value | 0.6337 | 0.0116 | 0.0144 | 0.0596 | 0.0003 |
Abbreviations: GI endoscopy/USE, gastrointestinal endoscopy/endoscopic ultrasonography; CT, computed tomography; PET/CTscan, positron emission tomography integrated with CT scan; CI, confidence interval.