(HealthDay News) — The pandemic disrupted healthcare for around 30% of older adults, according to the results of the latest University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging.
Jeffrey Kullgren, M.D., from the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation in Ann Arbor, and colleagues conducted phone interviews with 1,011 adults (aged 50 years or older) in January 2022.
According to the results of the survey, 14% of respondents said they postponed, rescheduled or canceled a procedure, operation or test in the past year, and another 8% said their provider had done so. Roughly one in seven older adults (15%) said they had postponed, rescheduled or canceled a visit to their primary care provider for a COVID-19-related reason in the past year, while 11% said their provider had done so. While most respondents said they had made up the missed test, procedure or operation delayed due to COVID-19 in 2021, there were differences in rescheduling by vaccination status, with 44% of unvaccinated older adults rescheduling versus 81% of vaccinated and boosted older adults.
“Even as the pandemic continues, it’s important for everyone to remember that COVID-19 is not the only risk to health,” poll director Preeti Malani, M.D., said in a statement. “It’s important to make sure we are taking care of all the health needs of older adults, including care that may have been disrupted.”
