Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic brought remarkable disruption to the ways in which healthcare was delivered This study aimed to examine changes in pediatric healthcare utilization in Hunan Province, China, during the COVID-19 pandemic Methods: An electronic survey was conducted among 142 hospitals in Hunan Province, China Using data from January 1 to April 30, 2019 as a reference, the changes in the number of visits for different types of pediatric healthcare between January 1 and April 30, 2020 were calculated Changes in the number of admissions for infections and injuries were also evaluated Results: The total number of pediatric healthcare presentations decreased by 53 3% in the first four months of 2020 The most remarkable reductions were observed in the utilization of emergency room (ranging from -45 7% to -94 9% among three hospital levels) and observation room (-55 8% to -77 7%);neonatal inpatient care experienced the smallest decreases (-21 2% to -25 5%) Approximately 85% of the total reduction in the number of pediatric inpatient admissions was attributable to the reduction in admissions for infections A 13 3% increase in the number of admissions for injuries was observed among third-level hospitals Conclusions: The utilization of all types of pediatric healthcare services in Hunan Province declined markedly after the outbreak of COVID-19 The reasons, consequences, and responses to these changes should be addressed in future studies and actions
Changes in pediatric healthcare utilization in Hunan Province, China, during the COVID-19 pandemic: a multi-center cross-sectional study