Seeking gastroenterological services during a pandemic: lessons from a large, national, population-based survey during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND

The 2019 coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) caused significant disruptions in people's lives, healthcare-seeking behavior, and willingness to undergo endoscopic procedures.

METHODS

This large national survey of adults used an online platform to collect participants' de-identified demographics, attitudes, and opinions regarding healthcare-seeking behavior and endoscopy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression.

RESULTS

There were 29 449 respondents; mean age 43.3 ± 17.3 years, 72% female. Among 3928 respondents who visited their doctor virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic, most were satisfied (76%). In a multivariate analysis, respondents who were satisfied or neutral toward a virtual visit were more likely to be married, African American, and have some college education. In contrast, those who were dissatisfied were more likely to be older or female. Only 26.3% (n = 7746) reported concerns about undergoing endoscopy during the pandemic. Among those respondents, preferences were to reschedule 3-4 months later (38%) after having had the vaccine (19%) or to forgo the procedure entirely (28%). In a multivariate analysis, having had a prior endoscopy was most strongly associated with concern, followed by African American race, female sex, being married, and older age.

CONCLUSION

This large national survey suggested high satisfaction with virtual visits and low concern about undergoing endoscopy during the pandemic. Concern around endoscopy was increased among those who had a prior endoscopy, African Americans, women, and older age groups.