{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T10:26:37Z","timestamp":1785407197429,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,1]],"date-time":"2025-01-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1735689600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/pages\/standard-publication-reuse-rights"}],"funder":[{"name":"Danish Cancer Society Scientific Committee","award":["R321-A17417"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["R321-A17417"]}]},{"name":"Danish Cancer Society Scientific Committee","award":["R321-A17417"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["R321-A17417"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,18]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected global healthcare systems, revealing their resilience to crises. Despite this, national-level research on its impact across key healthcare domains\u2014such as acute and chronic disease management, cancer screening and care, mental health, and palliative care\u2014is scarce. This study examines the pandemic\u2019s impact on contacts, quality of care, and social disparity in these healthcare domains to guide better preparedness for future health emergencies.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>The study utilized data from the Danish National Clinical Quality Registries, covering January 2015 to June 2022, to create a nationwide cohort for comparing healthcare metrics across the pandemic\u2019s phases and the prepandemic period. Healthcare contacts were assessed through descriptive analyses, while the quality of care and social disparities were analysed using multivariable regression models, providing estimated prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark led to community and healthcare lockdowns, which were associated with fewer hospital contacts and reduced participation in national cancer screening programs. However, a gradual recovery towards prepandemic levels was found, with the exceptions of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease contacts and colorectal cancer incidence. Overall, the quality of care across various healthcare domains in Denmark remained largely unchanged or improved slightly during the pandemic. However, social disparities in contacts were increased across all examined healthcare domains, with patients who were immigrants, living alone, had limited educational level or low income experiencing reduced contact compared to the prepandemic period.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Overall, the Danish healthcare system appeared to be resilient and largely unaffected throughout the pandemic, and the quality of care in several healthcare domains remained high. Nevertheless, the increasing social disparities in healthcare contacts during the pandemic demands attention. In preparing for future health crises, it is important to address and mitigate potential social inequalities, focusing on achieving equity in healthcare.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1093\/intqhc\/mzaf013","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,12]],"date-time":"2025-02-12T10:08:51Z","timestamp":1739354931000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare contacts, quality of care, and social disparities across essential healthcare domains"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"37","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3792-8983","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"S\u00f8ren Valgreen","family":"Knudsen","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Danish Center for Health Services Research (DACS), Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University , Selma Lagerl\u00f8fs Vej 249, Gistrup 9260,","place":["Denmark"]},{"name":"Psychiatry, Aalborg University Hospital , M\u00f8lleparkvej 10, Aalborg 9000,","place":["Denmark"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Henry","family":"Jensen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Resources & Innovation, The Danish Clinical Quality Program\u2014National Clinical Registries (RKKP) , Aarhus, Hedeager 3, Aarhus N 8200,","place":["Denmark"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jan","family":"Mainz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Danish Center for Health Services Research (DACS), Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University , Selma Lagerl\u00f8fs Vej 249, Gistrup 9260,","place":["Denmark"]},{"name":"Psychiatry, Aalborg University Hospital , M\u00f8lleparkvej 10, Aalborg 9000,","place":["Denmark"]},{"name":"Department for Community Mental Health, Haifa University , Haifa, Abba Khoushy Ave 199, Haifa 3498838,","place":["Israel"]},{"name":"Department of Health Economics, University of Southern Denmark , Odense, Syddanmark, Campusvej 55, Odense 5230,","place":["Denmark"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1662-2720","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lone","family":"Baandrup","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Mental Health Center Copenhagen, Denmark & Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen, Kristineberg 3, Copenhagen 2100,","place":["Denmark"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3753-268X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ismail","family":"G\u00f6genur","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department Surgery, Center for Surgical Science, Zealand University Hospital , Roskilde, Sygehusvej 10, Roskilde 4000,","place":["Denmark"]},{"name":"Institute for Clinical Medicine, Copenhagen University , Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, Copenhagen 2200,","place":["Denmark"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jens Winther","family":"Jensen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Danish Clinical Quality Program\u2014National Clinical Registries (RKKP) , Aarhus,","place":["Denmark"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"S\u00f8ren Paaske","family":"Johnsen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Danish Center for Health Services Research (DACS), Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University , Selma Lagerl\u00f8fs Vej 249, Gistrup 9260,","place":["Denmark"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jens Flensted","family":"Lassen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cardiology B, Odense University Hospital , Odense,","place":["Denmark"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anders","family":"L\u00f8kke","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine, Vejle, Lillebaelt Hospital , Vejle,","place":["Denmark"]},{"name":"Department of Regional Health 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