Representative quotations from members of socially vulnerable households needing health care during early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic
| Theme | Quotation or summary | Respondent characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Pandemic-related delays in seeking health care | The ultrasound had been scheduled before the beginning of the pandemic, but she delayed it until August and saw the doctor in September. She was offered a telephone appointment to review the results, but she wanted to talk to the doctor in person and refused to use the telemedicine service. |
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| “In one word, I have not been well” … I don’t want to complain about the situation, however, because “it’s like this for everyone … pretty unusual, pretty extraordinary.” |
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| She couldn’t walk, but she didn’t want to go to the hospital because she was afraid of contracting the virus. She waited until a month and a half later to seek care. She says that the lockdown was difficult for her because she couldn’t go out to walk due to the pain in her foot. |
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| “I’m not upset because I know that they were dealing with a lot of COVID at that time, so I understand. Maybe I would be upset if I was, you know, in a bad condition and nobody helped me, but it was a good thing that it was mild so I didn’t need that much care. So, for me, they had to take care of the more serious ones.” |
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| Challenges with appointment booking and logistics of encounter | “I could not contact the secretary. I kept on calling and calling and calling and they kept on transferring me and there was no answer. I was so frustrated, and I was getting angry. I don’t want to book anymore.” |
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| He does not have access to a computer, so he wouldn’t be able to meet a doctor online. He has Internet on his phone, but he doesn’t really know how to use it. He says that smartphones are very complicated for him. |
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| “If I needed to get in touch with my doctor, I would have to go through a myriad of secretaries. Before it was easy: as soon as I would have my yearly check-up, they would give me a little piece of paper to let me know when to come back for the next follow-up. Now they don’t give you the paper, so I have to go through many different receptionists and find out the doctor’s availability. It took me many months to get an appointment.” |
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| Concerns about quality and continuity of care using telemedicine | “I cannot tell you the problems I have in my body; you cannot test me on the phone.” |
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| “I prefer to see him in person. He can say ‘open your mouth,’ ‘open this, open that.’ That’s why I wouldn’t trust video. I could open whatever I open, but I don’t think the doctor could see whatever he’s looking at. But if he’s right there in front of you, he will see what he wants to see.” |
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| “I want to know everything about my health, and they can discuss more when you are in-person. Over the phone, sometimes you’re busy and they’re also busy maybe … when you have an appointment … in the office or in the clinic, you can sit and discuss.” |
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| Conditional acceptance of telemedicine | “If I have nothing serious for me to see my doctor and I could just do it over the phone, it’s completely understandable to me because they will be busier treating the people who are at more risk.” |
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| “If I have access to the same doctor, who has my case file and is already familiar with me and all the appointments are follow-up appointments, as long as there’s continuity, I don’t mind having the interactions over the phone or video calls. But if I’m going to keep getting transferred from doctor to doctor, then no. No video calls and no phone calls.” |
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