OBJECTIVES :

The Covid-19 epidemic has required the implementation of 3 lockdowns in France in 2020 and 2021. The first lockdown, which lasted from March 17^th to May 11^th, was extremely rigorous. During this period, as in other countries, movements and contacts between individuals were absolutely limited. Our objective was to study the evolution of outpatient care during the first lockdown.

METHODS :

We conducted a retrospective and comparative study between both March 2019 to May 2019 and March 2020 to May 2020 periods to shed light on the impact of the first lockdown using Open DAMIR and Medic'Am open access French claims databases, at a national level.

To obtain a representative understanding of the impact of covid-19 on ambulatory care, a wide range of outpatient cares was assessed (medication deliveries, medical consultations, and teleconsultations (TC), vaccine shots, dental cares, and optical device purchases).

RESULTS :

By comparing both periods, we observed a massive increase of TCs, rising from 16,333 to 8,691,359 (+ 50,000%). In only a month (between February 2020 and March 2020), TCs have grown by more than more than 4,000%. On the other hand, consultations with general practitioners and specialists dropped from 77,046,923 consultations to 52,556,140 (-32%). Drug deliveries decreased from 636,000 reimbursed containers delivered to 585,000 (-8%). Concerning multivalent vaccines dispensing in children aged from three months to eighteen months, a 32% decrease was also observed. In dental cares, number of dental acts provided by dentists dropped from 18,607,192 to 6,762,273 (-64%). In eyewear optics, a 53% decrease in volumes sold was observed.

CONCLUSIONS :

Our study showed a substantial decrease in the consumption of healthcare in each assessed categories, except for teleconsultations. This considerable increase in the use of telemedicine underline a significant change in future medical practices caused by this health crisis that were are still undergoing.