Dealing With A Backlog: People Not Going To The Doctor

Doctors across the country are seeing a surge in sick patients.not from COVID-19, but from people delaying routine preventative checkups.

DOCTORS AROUND THE COUNTRY ARESEEING A SURGE IN SICKPATIENTS... NOTBECAUSE OF COVID... BUT BECAUSETHEY HAVE BEEN DELAYING ROUTINECHEKCUPS.CHRIS CONTE TAKES A CLOSER LOOKAT WHY PUTTING OFF REGULARDOCTORS APPOINTMENTS COULDCREATE LONG TERM HEALTH ISSUES.WHERE PATIENTS COULD ONCE BEFOUND, THERE IS NOTHING BUTSILENCE THESE DAYS.AS COVID-19HAS KEPT COUNTLESS AMERICANS ATHOME .

FOR FEAR OF CONTRACTINGTHE VIRUS.

000420 A HUGE PIECEOF WHAT WE DO IN PRIMARY CARE ISPREVENTION AND NOT REACTIONAS APRIMARY CARE DOCTOR ATVANDERBILT UNIVERSITY, DR. JOHNSCOTT CAN UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLEWERE INITIALLY DELAYINGPREVENTATIVE CARE BACK IN THESPRING.BUT NOW, MANY OF THEPATIENTS HE'S SEEING ARE SICKER,HAVING DELAYED ROUTINE CARE FORMONTHS.000520 WE'RE GOING TOHAVE TO PAY THAT BILL LATER ANDTHE COST IS GOING TO BE MUCHGREATER GRAPHICWHAT WORRIESDOCTOR SCOTT THE MOST .

A 50PERCENTDROP OFF IN CANCER SCREENINGSACROSS THE COUNTRY.WITHAMERICANS AVOIDING THE DOCTOR .THEY'RE PUTTING OFF BREASTCANCER, COLON AND CERVICALCANCER SCREENINGS.000450 SO THEIMPACT OF THAT IS SIGNIFICANTWHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE BENEFITOF CATCHING CANCER AT AN EARLYSTAGE NEARLY A THIRD OFAMERICANS HAVE PUT OFFHEALTHCARE DURING COVID-19.BUTPHYSICIANS NATIONWIDE ARE URGINGPEOPLE TO SCHEDULE THAT CHECKUPSOONER RATHER THAN LATER.

001144HEALTHCARE IS A MARATHON AND YOUWANT TO PUT THE FINISH LINE ASFAR OUT AS POSSIBLE SO IF WESTART SKIPPING STEPS THEN WEAREN'T GOING TO GET TO THEFINISH LINE WE WANTSTANDUPAND, ACCORDING TO THECDC, 40% PERCENT OF AMERICANSARE STRUGGLING MENTALHEALTH ISSUES AND DEPRESSIONRIGHT NOW.SOMETHING MOST DOCTORSSCREEN FORDURING REGULAR CHECKUPS.

000816WE ARE LOOKING TO INTERVENE ATEVERY OPPORTUNITY.SOYOU'RE MISSING THAT?

DOES THATWORRY YOU?

OH, ABSOLUTELYYES.AND SINCE IT COULD BE MONTHSOR EVEN YEARS BEFORE THEPANDEMIC IS OVER.

DR. SCOTTWANTS PEOPLE TO AT LEASTCONSIDER .

MAKINGTHAT REGULARLY SCHEDULEDCHECKUP.001128 IT'S SAFE TORETURN, IT'S SAFER TO RETURNTHAN NOT WHEN WE LOOK AT THESELONG TERM ISSUE, THERE ISMEDICAL CARE THAT NEEDS TO OCCURI'M CHRIS CONTE REPORTING.EYE-ROBOTS ROBOTIC VACCUM ISABOUT TO GET SMARTER..