PURPOSE: There has been little information about the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic on esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and Gastric Cancer claims. This study aimed to measure the impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on EGD and Gastric Cancer claims in South Korea.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This nationwide, population-based study compared the claims data of EGD, Gastric Cancer, early Gastric Cancer (EGC), advanced Gastric Cancer (AGC) and Gastric Cancer operation in 2020 and 2021 (COVID-19 era) to those in 2019 (before COVID-19 Pandemic).
RESULTS: The annual claims of EGD, Gastric Cancer, EGC, and AGC were reduced by 6.3%, 5.0%, 4.7%, and 3.6% in 2020 and by 2.2%, 1.0%, 0.6%, and 1.9% in 2021, respectively, compared to 2019. The amount of annual claims of Gastric Cancer operation was reduced by 8.8% in 2020, but increased by 0.9% in 2021, compared to those in 2019. The monthly claims of EGD, Gastric Cancer, EGC, AGC, and Gastric Cancer operation were mainly reduced in the first epidemic wave of COVID-19, but decreased in the 2nd to 4th epidemic wave. Compared to 2019, the monthly claim of EGD, Gastric Cancer, EGC, AGC, and Gastric Cancer operation were reduced by 28.8%, 14.3%, 18.1%, 9.2%, and 5.8% in March 2020 and by 17.2%, 10.8%, 10.3%, 7.2%, and 35.4% in April 2020, respectively.
CONCLUSION: Negative impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on EGD, Gastric Cancer, EGC, AGC, and Gastric Cancer operation was worst during the first surge of COVID-19, but decreased in the 2nd to 4th epidemic wave of the disease in 2020 and 2021.
