Effect of COVID-19 on Cancer Treatment and COVID-19 Patient Acceptance in the Designated Cancer Hospital and its Surgical Department : Economic and Clinical Perspectives

Abstract

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our hospital and its surgical department from both economic and clinical perspectives over the past three years was examined, and the emerging problems are discussed.

Using DPC and NCD datasets, pre-pandemic (2018-2019) and pandemic (2020-2022) data were compared, and the time courses of revenue and clinical factors, including the numbers of hospitalizations, surgeries, and cases of outpatient chemotherapy, were analyzed.

Although the hospital's revenue fell to 90% of pre-pandemic levels by March 2021, it exceeded pre-pandemic levels thereafter with the government subsidy. Meanwhile, the revenue and indexes of clinical practices in the surgical department shrank to a maximum of 60% of the pre-pandemic level.

The spread of the pandemic in this region led to changes in both the COVID-19 phase and hospital management, correlating with the decline in surgical practices.

Apparently, it was difficult for the hospital to cope with infected patients while maintaining the clinical practices for patients in the surgical department during the pandemic. It is now necessary to consider ways to align infection control strategies with clinical cancer practices at the hospital, regional, and national levels in preparation for future pandemics.