The Impact of the SARS Epidemic on the Utilization of Medical Services: SARS and the Fear of SARS

Using interrupted time-series analysis and National Health Insurance data between January 2000 and August 2003, this study assessed the impacts of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic on medical service utilization in Taiwan. At the peak of the SARS epidemic, significant reductions...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of public health (1971) 2004-04, Vol.94 (4), p.562-564
Main Authors: Chang, Hong-Jen, Huang, Nicole, Lee, Cheng-Hua, Hsu, Yea-Jen, Hsieh, Chi-Jeng, Chou, Yiing-Jenq
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ambulatory care
Ambulatory Care - economics
Ambulatory Care - statistics & numerical data
Ambulatory Care - trends
Analysis. Health state
Biological and medical sciences
Coronaviruses
Cost of Illness
Dental Care - economics
Dental Care - statistics & numerical data
Dental Care - trends
Disease Outbreaks - economics
Disease Outbreaks - statistics & numerical data
Disease transmission
Epidemics
Epidemiology
Expenditures
Fear
Fear & phobias
Forecasting
General aspects
Health care policy
Health Expenditures - statistics & numerical data
Health Expenditures - trends
Health insurance
Health Services - economics
Health Services - statistics & numerical data
Health Services - trends
Health Services Accessibility - economics
Health Services Accessibility - statistics & numerical data
Health Services Accessibility - trends
Health Services Research
Health services utilization
Hospitalization - economics
Hospitalization - statistics & numerical data
Hospitalization - trends
Hospitals
Human viral diseases
Humans
Infectious diseases
Insurance Claim Reporting - economics
Insurance Claim Reporting - statistics & numerical data
Insurance Claim Reporting - trends
Longitudinal Studies
Medical personnel
Medical sciences
Medicine
Medicine, Chinese Traditional - trends
National health insurance
National Health Programs - economics
National Health Programs - statistics & numerical data
National Health Programs - trends
Patient Acceptance of Health Care - psychology
Patient Acceptance of Health Care - statistics & numerical data
Population Surveillance
Public health
Public health. Hygiene
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
Regression Analysis
Research and Practice
SARS coronavirus
Seasons
Severe acute respiratory syndrome
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - economics
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - epidemiology
Taiwan - epidemiology
Trends
Viral diseases
Viral diseases of the respiratory system and ent viral diseases
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Summary:Using interrupted time-series analysis and National Health Insurance data between January 2000 and August 2003, this study assessed the impacts of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic on medical service utilization in Taiwan. At the peak of the SARS epidemic, significant reductions in ambulatory care (23.9%), inpatient care (35.2%), and dental care (16.7%) were observed. People's fears of SARS appear to have had strong impacts on access to care. Adverse health outcomes resulting from accessibility barriers posed by the fear of SARS should not be overlooked.
ISSN:0090-0036
1541-0048
DOI:10.2105/AJPH.94.4.562