Effect of COVID-19 on Emergency Service Trends

Purpose: The aim was to determine the variation in emergency service attendance occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic by assessing the monthly attendance distribution, monthly trends in emergency service attendance, hourly emergency service attendance trends and triage areas of patients attending the emergency service. Methods: This retrospective, descriptive research was completed based on records for 608,837 patients attending the emergency service of XX State Hospital from 11.09.2018 to 11.09.2021. Patient data for 18 months until the COVID-19 pandemic declaration on 11.03.2020 and 18 months after the pandemic declaration were assessed with the Joinpoint regression analysis program to analyze attendance. Analyses were completed at P<0.1 significance level. Results: During this time interval, the highest number of attendances was 26,946 in December 2018, with the lowest number of attendances 6728 in April 2020 (N=608,837). Of attendances, 62% were in the period before the COVID-19 pandemic, while 38% occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. There was a 39% reduction in monthly emergency service attendance during the COVID-19 pandemic and the pandemic caused a significant change in monthly attendance. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant changes in the emergency service attendance trends. Awareness of society by increasing health literacy levels, implementation of the referral chain, regulation of contributions and ensuring access to clinical services outside of office hours are predicted to lower the intensity of emergency service attendance.