Impact of COVID-19 Response on Primary Care Utilization

OBJECTIVES: Since the start of the pandemic, many national responses, such as nationwide lockdowns, have been implemented to curb the spread of COVID-19. We aim to assess the impact of Singapore’s national responses on primary care utilization.

METHODS: We performed an interrupted time series using acute and chronic primary care data of 3 168 578 visits between 1 September 2019 and 31 August 2020 over four periods: before any measures were put in place, during Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) Orange, when Circuit Breaker was instituted, and when Circuit Breaker was lifted.

RESULTS: We found significant mean reductions in acute and chronic primary care visits immediately following DORSCON Orange and Circuit Breaker. DORSCON Orange was associated with - 020 mean daily visits (95% CI -2890 to -1150). Circuit Breaker was associated with a further -2510 mean daily visits (95% CI -3660 to -1360).

CONCLUSIONS: Primary care utilization for acute visits remained below baseline levels even after the Circuit Breaker was lifted. These significant reductions were observed in both acute and chronic visits, with acute visits experiencing a steeper drop during DORSCON Orange. Understanding the impact of COVID-19 measures on primary care utilization will be useful for future public health planning.