Promoting patient safety and improving the quality of patient care
Tag: COVID survey
By Elise M.V. Wong (Director of Communications & Research, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety)
44% of patients have delayed or avoided doctor’s visits because of COVID-19. This percentage is even higher among those diagnosed with cardiovascular disease or respiratory illness — two groups with an increased risk of contracting COVID-19 and of facing serious complications if medical care is delayed.
Continue reading “COVID-19 Keeps 44% of Patients From Seeking Care”
By Michael Wong, JD (Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety)
Who is Legally Liable for COVID-19?
Here’s my question to you – “Who is Legally Liable for COVID-19?”
Some say China is liable – according to a Pew Research Center survey, more than 3 out of 4 Americans (78%) “place a great deal or fair amount of the blame for the global spread of the coronavirus on the Chinese government’s initial handling of the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan.”
And, while some may debate whether a nation like China or any other country can be held legally liable, the difficulty of overcoming sovereign immunity makes such considerations a rather pointless mind exercise – or, as is often said in law school, a moot point.
Rather, I ask this question at a far more micro level – is the nurse, doctor, or even the emergency responder liable to a patient who contracts, has an adverse event, or dies from COVID-19 when undergoing their care and treatment?
A survey conducted by the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety has found that patients have delayed or not seen a doctor because of COVID-19.
184 patients responded to the online survey conducted from August 25, 2020 to September 7, 2020.
Patients Are Concerned About Getting COVID-19
In response to the question, “How concerned are you of getting COVID-19?” approximately half of the respondents (45%) said that they were extremely concerned or moderately concerned about getting COVID-19, while one in five of the respondents (20%) were not concerned or only slightly concerned.
However, fear of getting COVID-19 is particularly high in patients with atrial fibrillation and other cardiovascular diseases – more than nine of ten (92%) of whom were extremely concerned or moderately concerned. According to the CDC, patients diagnosed with cardiovascular disease may be at a greater risk of getting COVID-19. The high percentage of survey respondents being concerned about getting COVID-19 may reflect this CDC warning.
In comparison, reflective of the sentiments of all of the respondents, less than half (47%) of respondents with COPD or other respiratory illnesses were extremely concerned or moderately concerned about getting COVID-19.
Patients Have Delayed Seeing a Doctor during COVID-19
About half of the respondents (44%) said that they had delayed or not gone to see a doctor, dentist, or other healthcare providers during this COVID pandemic. Unfortunately, this percentage was higher in respondents with cardiovascular disease, COPD, or other respiratory illnesses:
These survey results echo researchers’ findings that more than 40% of US adults skipped medical care since COVID-19.
Additionally, more than half of the respondents reported that their family members (52%) had delayed or not gone to see a doctor during the COVID pandemic and more than a third of the respondents reported that they knew someone who had delayed or not gone to see a doctor, dentist, or other healthcare providers (35%).
To view our complete report on the survey, please click here.
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