About 38 percent of the total chronic disease diagnosed Canadians are not considering to undergo a treatment in the wake of COVID-19 transmission, reports a survey.
The Canada-based Danish pharmaceutical company, Novo Nordisk Canada, Inc., had conducted a survey through an online panel of Leger360, the largest research and analytics organization of Canada. This survey was conducted in late February this year with over 1500 participants from Canada. This study concluded that about 35 percent or nearly 500 participants were diagnosed with some type of chronic disease including cancer, obesity, diabetes, arthritis, and heart diseases with an error margin of 2.5 percent in each trial. Moreover, the survey revealed that about 13% of survey participants with chronic disorders have neither contacted a doctor nor visited the hospital since the outbreak of COVID-19 virus. Only 56 percent of participants with chronic conditions have visited a clinician during the COVID-19 crisis.
Medical experts have advised the healthcare professionals to provide virtual care for patients amidst the possible second wave of the pandemic. All regions and provinces provide eHealth or telemedicine services which allow the patients to access the clinicians that perform screening and treatment in a safer environment. Offering digital care is always convenient for people residing in remote locations and for those with transport limitations. But the patients diagnosed with DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis) were urged by the experts to seek medical care in the healthcare institutions without any delay. DKA is a life-threatening complication of diabetes which occurs due to shortage of insulin in the body.
Holding or delaying the healthcare treatment of any medical condition can negatively impact or worsen an individual’s health. Likewise, Canadians are now encouraged by the medical authorities to engage with doctors, either virtually or in-person, for treatment of their chronic disorders.