{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,23]],"date-time":"2026-10-23T19:48:56Z","timestamp":1792784936975,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":21,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,6]],"date-time":"2025-04-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1743897600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,6]],"date-time":"2025-04-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1743897600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"funder":[{"name":"Funding is received from the Hogerzeil foundation."}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["npj Prim. Care Respir. Med."],"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>We investigated healthcare avoidance during the first COVID-19 wave in a Dutch region with high infection rates. A mixed-method, multiphase study used (1) primary care electronic health records to identify patients, (2) questionnaires to capture patients with unreported COVID-19 symptoms, and (3) interviews om care avoidance. Additionally, a natural language model estimated COVID-19 incidence from routine care data. Of 2361 respondents (39% response rate), 535 (23%) reported COVID-19 symptoms; 180 sought help, mainly from GPs. Care-seeking rates did not differ significantly between those with or without relatives who experienced severe illness or death before their own illness (p\u2009=\u20090.270). Interviews showed the main barriers were feeling not ill enough and concerns about an overstressed healthcare system, especially GPs. Only a third of participants with symptoms sought help, mostly from GPs. Serious illness or death of loved ones had no significant impact. Findings highlight the need for clear communication and accessible healthcare, including telemedicine, for future pandemics.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1038\/s41533-025-00426-w","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,5]],"date-time":"2025-04-05T19:31:11Z","timestamp":1743881471000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Hasselt Corona Impact Study: Impact of COVID-19 on healthcare seeking in a small Dutch town"],"prefix":"10.1038","volume":"35","author":[{"given":"Carlijn","family":"Veldman","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Erik A.","family":"Van Gijssel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Annelot H.","family":"Van Rooij","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lonneke","family":"Buitenhuis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jan Willem K.","family":"Van Den Berg","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marco H.","family":"Blanker","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"426_CR1","unstructured":"Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu: Covid-19 aantallen per gemeente per publicatiedatum [Internet]. 2024 [cited 2024 Sep 18]. 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Lancet Public Heal 6, e124\u2013e135 (2021).","journal-title":"Lancet Public Heal"},{"key":"426_CR7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e045343","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2020-045343","volume":"11","author":"R Moynihan","year":"2021","unstructured":"Moynihan, R et al. Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on utilisation of healthcare services: a systematic review. BMJ Open 11, e045343 (2021).","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"key":"426_CR8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0280733","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0280733","volume":"18","author":"M Grut","year":"2023","unstructured":"Grut, M, de Wildt, G, Clarke, J, Greenfield, S & Russell, A Primary health care during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative exploration of the challenges and changes in practice experienced by GPs and GP trainees. 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