as the pharmaceutical industry moves massive amounts of time and resources into combating covid-19, many patients have been left to fend for themselves, a new survey has found.
the
research
, conducted by u.k.-based consultancy group
patientview
, contacted 1,720 patient advocate groups across 84 countries to get a better sense of how these “abandoned patients” are coping during the ongoing crisis and how the groups themselves are responding to their struggles.
“i think the thing for me that was so staggering was the extent to which patient groups are filling the void in healthcare at a time when chronically ill patients are being forced into lockdown,” alex wyke, the founder and ceo of patientview, told healthing. “so you may have cancer or hiv or arthritis, or whatever it is, and if you are being asked by your governments to stay away or stay at home, you often wait much longer for your care.
“obviously, patients at home feel very isolated, depressed and these patient groups have really stepped up to the mark by providing online peer-to-peer support and bringing in health professionals to talk to.”
according to the 47 patient groups surveyed in canada, the three main concerns facing patients throughout the pandemic have been personal safety (85 per cent), being certain of continued access to treatment (76 per cent) and mental wellbeing (67 per cent). and while 93 per cent of the groups based in canada felt the government was doing an effective or very effective job of handling the pandemic, it is clear some successes may have come at the expense of other elements of care.