Table 3.
Waiting times across study periods in 2020 and percent differences compared with 2019.
| Period (2020) | Waiting Times (Days, Mean ± SD) | Percent Increase (95% CI) | p-Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments | |||
| Pre-COVID (1 January–25 February) | 2.59 ± 0.21 | −1.78 (−11.73–8.17) | 0.5911 |
| COVID-impacted (26 February–28 April) | 5.61 ± 0.61 | 106.80 (87.46–126.20) | <0.0001 |
| De-escalation (29 April–30 June) | 4.59 ± 0.24 | 75.41 (59.54–91.29) | <0.0001 |
| Second wave (July 1–30 December) | 3.80 ± 0.38 | 48.14 (39.83–56.45) | <0.0001 |
| 26 February–30 December | 4.33 ± 0.83 | 65.72 (56.09–75.36) | <0.0001 |
| GI endoscopy/USE | |||
| Pre-COVID (1 January–25 February) | 5.45 ± 0.44 | −0.54 (−7.84–6.76) | 0.8305 |
| COVID-impacted (26 February–28 April) | 14.32 ± 3.24 | 161.50 (111.60–211.40) | <0.0001 |
| De-escalation (29 April–30 June) | 10.45 ± 0.84 | 85.58 (66.33–104.80) | <0.0001 |
| Second wave (1 July–30 December) | 8.67 ± 0.69 | 58.11 (51.74–64.49) | <0.0001 |
| 26 February–30 December | 10.19 ± 2.71 | 84.88 (69.06–100.70) | <0.0001 |
| CT scan | |||
| Pre-COVID (1 January–25 February) | 4.22 ± 0.29 | −0.09 (−8.18–8.01) | 0.8880 |
| COVID-impacted (26 February–28 April) | 11.46 ± 2.62 | 171.20 (118.20–224.10) | <0.0001 |
| De-escalation (29 April–30 June) | 8.11 ± 0.96 | 90.61 (69.35–111.90) | <0.0001 |
| Second wave (1 July–30 December) | 6.87 ± 0.59 | 62.33 (54.73–69.93) | <0.0001 |
| 26 February–30 December | 8.06 ± 2.22 | 90.37 (73.52–107.20) | <0.0001 |
| PET /CT scan | |||
| Pre-COVID (1 January–25 February) | 4.17 ± 0.54 | 0.74 (−11.88–13.35) | 0.9880 |
| COVID-impacted (26 February–28 April) | 10.36 ± 2.28 | 152.50 (98.21–206.90) | <0.0001 |
| De-escalation (29 April–30 June) | 7.26 ± 1.31 | 74.60 (47.82–101.40) | <0.0001 |
| Second wave (1 July–30 December) | 6.47 ± 0.60 | 55.84 (48.52–63.16) | <0.0001 |
| 26 February–30 December | 7.43 ± 1.96 | 79.45 (63.35–95.56) | <0.0001 |
| Ultrasonography | |||
| Pre-COVID (1 January–25 February) | 3.35 ± 0.37 | −1.44 (−10.11–7.22) | 0.7302 |
| COVID-impacted (26 February–28 April) | 8.39 ± 2.39 | 148.40 (89.28–207.50) | <0.0001 |
| De-escalation (29 April–30 June) | 6.20 ± 0.61 | 85.69 (65.26–106.10) | <0.0001 |
| Second wave (1 July–30 December) | 5.35 ± 0.51 | 58.95 (49.97–67.93) | <0.0001 |
| 26 February–30 December | 6.15 ± 1.65 | 82.72 (66.73–98.71) | <0.0001 |
| Invasive procedures | |||
| Pre-COVID (1 January–25 February) | 5.16 ± 0.47 | −0.70 (−8.78–7.38) | 0.8175 |
| COVID-impacted (26 February–28 April) | 15.53 ± 3.81 | 200.70 (144.20–257.20) | <0.0001 |
| De-escalation (29 April–30 June) | 11.48 ± 1.29 | 122.90 (95.82–150.00) | <0.0001 |
| Second wave (1 July–30 December) | 8.80 ± 0.64 | 70.64 (65.46–75.82) | <0.0001 |
| 26 February–30 December | 10.73 ± 3.23 | 107.90 (88.66–127.20) | <0.0001 |
| Biopsy/cytology procedures | |||
| Pre-COVID (1 January–25 February) | 3.82 ± 0.36 | −0.91 (−6.77–4.94) | 0.8230 |
| COVID-impacted (26 February–28 April) | 8.16 ± 2.22 | 111.20 (71.97–150.40) | <0.0001 |
| De-escalation (29 April–30 June) | 6.63 ± 0.52 | 73.19 (64.29–82.09) | <0.0001 |
| Second wave (1 July–30 December) | 5.84 ± 0.36 | 52.68 (47.17–58.19) | <0.0001 |
| 26 February–30 December | 6.48 ± 1.37 | 68.85 (58.51–79.18) | <0.0001 |
| Time-to-diagnosis | |||
| Pre-COVID (1 January–25 February) | 10.38 ± 0.59 | 0.84 (−8.22–9.89) | 0.9258 |
| COVID-impacted (26 February–28 April) | 20.14 ± 3.72 | 97.04 (65.15–128.90) | <0.0001 |
| De-escalation (29 April–30 June) | 15.54 ± 0.90 | 51.17 (41.99–60.35) | <0.0001 |
| Second wave (1 July–30 December) | 13.64 ± 0.86 | 32.87 (28.47–37.27) | <0.0001 |
| 26 February–30 December | 15.36 ± 3.12 | 49.74 (39.85–59.62) | <0.0001 |
Abbreviations: See Table 2.