Many people are faced with canceled appointments with a hospital, specialist or general practitioner as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. The care wants to keep time and space available to help people with whom the virus has been diagnosed. Only urgent appointments continue. Patient federation Netherlands held together with News hour a survey of patients about canceling appointments and the consequences thereof.
7,000 people completed the questionnaire. They generally understand how to cancel appointments. However, they are concerned about the possible adverse effects of delaying treatment or surgery. Also, 73 percent of people with whom an appointment has been canceled say that the hospital has not provided information about possible consequences.
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Patient uncertainty
Two-thirds indicate that procrastination has consequences for him or her. For one in three even to a reasonable to strong extent. Peter Baerveldt (70) has something on his heart that makes him short of breath and has no energy. “I would get a new pacemaker, but before that I would have an examination and possibly a cardiac catheterization. Those examinations have all been postponed.”
As long as Baerveldt is not helped, he has no energy at all and is in uncertainty. “There is a blockage in the coronary artery somewhere, so that research is needed to know where the problem is.”
More than half (59 percent) of survey participants are concerned now that the appointment has been canceled; In fact, 14 percent are reasonably to very much concerned. Around Christmas, Bettine Pluut found a melanoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer: “A melanoma is always malignant and can spread in five weeks. The thicker, the more dangerous. It was quite thick, so I am in the danger zone.”
Last Monday she would be her first check-up to have. “The first moment that I would be reassured. The dermatologist called me to ask how it is. Just a phone call, not video calling. I find it difficult, because I prefer to have all the spots checked now.”
When to ring the bell?
If she is really worried, Pluut can still come by, she says. “But that threshold is high when you know that there are really sick people who need help.” Pluut now only gets a first check after five months. “According to the dermatologist, that is justified. The more I think about it, the crazier I can make myself. But I don’t do that. I can get under a car tomorrow.”
The Patient Federation calls on hospitals and doctors to fully inform patients about the possible consequences of canceling appointments. And to indicate clearly when the patient should ring the bell if his condition worsens.
Incidentally, the vast majority of patients are happy with any alternatives to their ‘physical’ appointments. For whom the appointment can also be carried out by telephone, video calling or chat, 87 percent think this is a good solution. Pluut: “My son’s physiotherapy was canceled; instead he received a video from his physiotherapist with exercises that he can do at home. He likes that even better, because then he will not forget the exercises either. Never waste a good crisis. “
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