Survey: Many older adults report delaying medical care

Apr 27, 2020 - 03:40 PM
cjr-medicare

More than half of U.S. adults aged 70 and older have experienced a disruption in their medical care during the first month of social distancing for COVID-19, according to a new survey by NORC at the University of Chicago, the SCAN Foundation and John A. Hartford Foundation. An estimated 39% reported delaying or cancelling a non-emergency medical treatment and 15% reported delaying or canceling an essential medical treatment. One in four said their health care providers had reached out to them since the outbreak began to check on their well-being outside of a normally scheduled appointment, and one in five reported having a telehealth appointment. Older adults viewed health care professionals and non-elected public health officials as the most trusted sources of information during the pandemic.

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