The study, published in JAMA Health Forum, examined records for 3.7 million Kaiser Permanente members of all ages who lived in the affected region. Researchers compared observed health care use in the week after the fires ignited on January 7 with expected levels from the prior three years. They defined high exposure as living within about 12 miles (20 kilometers) of a burn zone and moderate exposure as living in Los Angeles County but farther than 12 miles.
Results showed a clear rise in virtual visits, particularly for respiratory and cardiovascular symptoms. In the week after ignition, respiratory virtual visits were 42% above expected levels. Cardiovascular virtual visits rose 44% for those near burn zones and 40% for county residents. The study also reported increases in in-person outpatient respiratory visits.
Visits for injuries and neuropsychiatric symptoms increased as well. On January 7, outpatient injury visits were 18% higher than expected among highly exposed members, and virtual injury visits rose 26% and 18% for highly and moderately exposed groups. The authors noted that virtual care capacity is important when people must stay indoors or evacuate.
Difficult words
- evacuation — moving people away from dangerevacuations
- utilization — the act of using something effectively
- respiratory — related to breathing or lungs
- cardiovascular — related to the heart and blood vessels
- crisis — a time of severe difficulty or danger
- indicate — to show or point out somethingindicates
- enhance — to improve or make betterenhancing
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- How do you think virtual health care can benefit people during emergencies?
- What other measures can health care systems take to prepare for crises?
- Why do you believe people may prefer online care during emergencies?
- What challenges might arise from relying on virtual health services?
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