Krzysztof Flis, M.A.

experience, competence, research

Assessment of changes in accessibility to medical services in Poland for elderly people, during the COVID-19 pandemic period

The spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has forced changes in the availability of primary health care. The new guidelines and the need to comply with the recommendations of the Polish State Sanitary Inspectorate resulted in reduced availability of medical assistance. The inability to make in-person visits to primary care facilities, as well as specialty care has forced the health care system to reorganize. Patients could not physically receive medical advice during the pandemic. The development of technology has enabled the launch of other options related to the implementation of primary health care. Remote medical consultations have also appeared, not used in health care on such a large scale before the pandemic. In addition, there was a number of capabilities launched during the restrictions on access to healthcare, such as e-prescriptions and e-referrals.

A nationwide survey of the health status of elderly Polish people (POLSENIOR2) completed fieldwork just before the spread of this dangerous virus. POLSENIIOR2 field research continued in 2019-2020. They illustrated not only the health status of Poland’s elderly population, but also the socioeconomic situation and quality of life.

The data collected in the POLSENIOR2 survey just before the pandemic, concerning prevalence, digital exclusion and access to medical care give us a unique opportunity to see and compare how the foregoing aspects changed during the pandemic. In addition, we can assess whether the resulting new ways of delivering primary care and outpatient specialty care can be accepted by the elderly even after the pandemic is over.

As a part of the ongoing study, 16 Medical Faculty MD Course students were recruited to conduct a telephone survey with respondents. An electronic version of the survey form has been created using The World Bank Group’s Survey Solutions system, which streamlines data collection. The system has a great number of improvements, therefore we can keep track of the survey progress, as well as the correctness and completeness of the interviews.

The main objectives of the study are:

• assessing the change in accessibility to medical services during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic among Polish residents aged 65 and older
• investigating how Polish residents aged 65+ rate the replacement of in-office medical advice with remote consultations
• determining what social and health factors have been associated with not vaccinating against COVID-19, among residents.