Changes in Emergency Medical Services Utilization Before and After COVID-19: Focused on General Hospitals and Higher-Tier Medical Institutions

Abstract

This study examined to what extend the outbreak of Covid-19 influenced emergency medical service utilization. Changes in medical services utilization were analyzed using monthly data for the years 2018 to 2020 from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. Percentage analysis was conducted on changes in medical use before and after COVID-19, and the difference in usage between perids 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 was analyzed by linear regression. Changes in the trend of emergency medical services used due to the COVID-19 outbreak were analyzed using local weighted regression method. In 2020, the utilization of emergency medical services at general hospitals or higher-tier medical institutions decreased by 22.8% compared to the average before the COVID-19 outbreak, and the number of patients decreased significantly during the first, second, and third waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, medical use declined more significantly among patients with mild conditions than among those with severe conditions. Meanwhile, the mortality rate within 7 days of visiting the emergency room increased by 32.6% after COVID-19, indicating that a decrease in emergency medical use led to a decrease in the performance of emergency care.