[Skip to Content]
[Skip to Content Landing]

Deferral of Care for Serious Non–COVID-19 ConditionsA Hidden Harm of COVID-19

Educational Objective
To identify the key insights or developments described in this article
1 Credit CME

The harms of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have been innumerable, including illness, death and disability, unemployment and devastation of small businesses, hunger, educational losses, and amplification of racial and social inequities. In this issue of JAMA Internal Medicine, 2 articles shed light on another cost: deferral of care for serious non–COVID-19 conditions, such as myocardial infarction and stroke.

Blecker et al1 and Bhambhvani et al2 examined admissions to hospitals in New York and California during the pandemic and found dramatic reductions in presentations for non–COVID-19 conditions compared with prior years. These included medical emergencies, such as appendicitis, for which the true incidence was unlikely to have changed. There was also a decrease in admissions for exacerbations of chronic disease, such as heart failure. Bhambhvani et al2 found greater reductions at a hospital in New York than one in California, suggesting that deferral of care may be associated with the intensity of the surrounding epidemic.

Sign in to take quiz and track your certificates

Buy This Activity

JN Learning™ is the home for CME and MOC from the JAMA Network. Search by specialty or US state and earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™ from articles, audio, Clinical Challenges and more. Learn more about CME/MOC

CME Disclosure Statement: Unless noted, all individuals in control of content reported no relevant financial relationships. If applicable, all relevant financial relationships have been mitigated.

Article Information

Published Online: October 26, 2020. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.4016

Corresponding Author: Colette DeJong, MD, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 505 Parnassus Ave, Room M-987, San Francisco, CA 94143 (colette.dejong@ucsf.edu).

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Dr Covinsky reported receiving grants from the National Institute on Aging. No other disclosures were reported.

References
1.
Blecker  S , Jones  SA , Petrilli  CM ,  et al.  Hospitalizations for chronic disease and acute conditions in the time of COVID-19.   JAMA Intern Med. Published online October 26, 2020. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.3978Google Scholar
2.
Bhambhvani  HP , Rodrigues  AJ , Yu  JS , Carr  JB  II , Hayden Gephart  M .  Hospital volumes of 5 medical emergencies in the COVID-19 pandemic in 2 US medical centers.   JAMA Intern Med. Published online October 26, 2020. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.3982Google Scholar
3.
Asch  DA .  Opening hospitals to more patients during the COVID-19 pandemic—making it safe and making it feel safe.   JAMA Intern Med. 2020;180(8):1048-1049. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.2626PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
AMA CME Accreditation Information

Credit Designation Statement: The American Medical Association designates this Journal-based CME activity activity for a maximum of 1.00  AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to:

  • 1.00 Medical Knowledge MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program;;
  • 1.00 Self-Assessment points in the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery’s (ABOHNS) Continuing Certification program;
  • 1.00 MOC points in the American Board of Pediatrics’ (ABP) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program;
  • 1.00 Lifelong Learning points in the American Board of Pathology’s (ABPath) Continuing Certification program; and
  • 1.00 credit toward the CME [and Self-Assessment requirements] of the American Board of Surgery’s Continuous Certification program

It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting MOC credit.

Close
Want full access to the AMA Ed Hub?
After you sign up for AMA Membership, make sure you sign in or create a Physician account with the AMA in order to access all learning activities on the AMA Ed Hub
Buy this activity
Close
Want full access to the AMA Ed Hub?
After you sign up for AMA Membership, make sure you sign in or create a Physician account with the AMA in order to access all learning activities on the AMA Ed Hub
Buy this activity
Close
With a personal account, you can:
  • Access free activities and track your credits
  • Personalize content alerts
  • Customize your interests
  • Fully personalize your learning experience
Education Center Collection Sign In Modal Right
Close

Name Your Search

Save Search
With a personal account, you can:
  • Access free activities and track your credits
  • Personalize content alerts
  • Customize your interests
  • Fully personalize your learning experience
Close
Close

Lookup An Activity

or

My Saved Searches

You currently have no searches saved.

Close

My Saved Courses

You currently have no courses saved.

Close