Reasons for Day-of-Surgery Cancellation of Elective Surgical Procedures During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Author Information
Author(s): Muacevic Alexander, Adler John R, Topolewski Paweł, Szplit Dariusz, Kobiela Jarek, Łaski Dariusz, Stepaniak Pieter, Stefaniak Tomasz J
Primary Institution: Medical University of Gdańsk
Hypothesis
How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect the cancellation of elective surgeries?
Conclusion
Patient-related causes were the most frequent reasons for cancellations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Supporting Evidence
- 203 elective surgeries were canceled during the study period.
- Patient-related cancellations increased from 5.1% to 18.8% during the pandemic.
- Resource/facility-related reasons accounted for 57.3% of cancellations during the pandemic.
- The study analyzed four six-week periods for comparison.
- Fisher’s test was used to assess the significance of cancellation reasons.
- Overall, 11.65% of elective surgeries were canceled in the pre- and post-COVID-19 periods.
- COVID-19 positive results were a minor reason for cancellations.
- Prehospitalization protocols were implemented to minimize cancellations.
Takeaway
During the COVID-19 pandemic, more patients canceled their surgeries compared to before, mainly because they were worried about going to the hospital.
Methodology
A retrospective analysis comparing reasons for surgery cancellations across different periods during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Potential Biases
Potential bias from the selection of study periods and changes in healthcare programs.
Limitations
The study is retrospective and may have bias due to the selection of periods.
Participant Demographics
Patients scheduled for elective surgeries at a university hospital in Poland.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.0115
Confidence Interval
95%
Statistical Significance
p=0.0115
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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