Effects of Outpatient Care Changes During the COVID ‐19 Pandemic on the Quality of Physician Care in Japan: A Cross‐Sectional Study

AIM: This study aimed to investigate how changes in outpatient care during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic affected the quality of medical care provided by Japanese physicians. METHODS: tests, and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to examine the relationships between care changes and perceived declines in care quality. RESULTS: Of the 321 respondents, 135 (42.1%) reported that the quality of their medical care was negatively affected during the pandemic. Significant associations were found between the perceived decline in care quality and a decrease in the number of new outpatients at outpatient clinics, extended intervals between return visits, and conduct of outpatient telephone consultations. Extended intervals between return visits and conduct of outpatient telephone consultations were also independently associated with difficulties in understanding patients' conditions and living situations. These relationships remained significant after adjusting for covariates, such as physician experience and facility type. CONCLUSIONS: Changes in outpatient care during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly extended intervals between return visits and conduct of outpatient telephone consultations, were significantly associated with a decline in physician-perceived care quality. These disruptions impair physicians' ability to assess patients comprehensively and underscore the need to maintain continuity of care and holistic evaluation practices, especially for older adults, during public health emergencies.