Exclusive: U.S. medical testing, cancer screenings plunge during coronavirus outbreak
(Reuters) - Routine medical tests critical for detecting and monitoring cancer and other conditions plummeted in the United States since mid-March, as the coronavirus spread and public officials urged residents to stay home, according to a new report by Komodo Health.
Diagnostic panels and cancer screenings typically performed during annual physician visits fell by as much as 68% nationally, and by even more in coronavirus hotspots.
These tests, office visits, surgeries and other medical care tied to them, are key sources of revenue for hospitals and healthcare systems that had to curb lucrative elective procedures to assure room for a crush of patients with COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus.
Millions of patients postponed tests considered crucial for detecting early signs of disease, monitoring its progression and improving patient outcomes, according to Komodo, which has one of the nation's largest medical claims data bases and provided its new findings exclusively to Reuters.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/health-news/exclusive-us-medical-testing-cancer-screenings-plunge-during-coronavirus-outbreak-data-firm-analysis/ar-BB13iqhw?li=BBnb7Kz
= new reply since forum marked as read
