The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Diagnosis and Treatment in Otorhinolaryngology Patients in Croatia

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a decrease in the number of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in most ENT departments. We performed a survey among ENT specialists in Croatia aiming to assess how the pandemic influenced their practice, and consequently the patient diagnosis and treatment. The majority of the 123 participants who completed the survey stated that there was a delay in diagnosis and treatment of ENT diseases, which they expected to have negative effects on patient outcomes. Since the pandemic is still ongoing, there is the need for improvement at different levels of the healthcare system to minimize the consequences of the pandemic in non- COVID patients.

Keywords

• COVID-19 pandemic
• Non-COVID patients
• ENT practice
• Delayed diagnosis
• Delayed treatment