Decrease in search to hospitals and health services and the interruption of therapeutics and treatments during pandemic

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic over the search for healthcare services according to four criteria (cancellation of medical consultations, suspension of treatments, postponement of surgeries and non-performance of routine tests), comparing the results between genders and age groups. METHODS: A survey was conducted through an internet questionnaire in October 2020. RESULTS: 602 responses were obtained, and the results were that women had lower rates of going to health services compared to men and individuals belonging to the elderly age group canceled more medical visits, interrupted more therapies, and postponed more surgeries than other age groups. CONCLUSION: Considering the overview of all age groups, the pandemic caused a decrease of about 28% in the demand for medical consultations and this decrease is more significant among the elderly and women. These results emphasize the need for specific campaigns for these people in periods of social isolation due to the pandemics.