Three years of pandemic. Three years in which many people in Germany took less notice of their medical check-ups than before. That is dangerous – and should now finally be made up for. An overview of the most important checks.
The pandemic and the associated fear of infection has led to significantly fewer people than before taking advantage of medical check-ups. The rate was already too low, say experts. But since March 2020, the number of early detection examinations and preventive medical appointments has dropped significantly, as various studies show.
More than every fourth adult in Germany (28.2 percent) had fewer check-ups during the corona pandemic than in previous years or than originally planned. That’s according to the latest study on the subject, published in November by French online healthcare company Doctolib and polling firm YouGov.
Accordingly, they were particularly common
canceled or postponed.
But also important studies on (cancer) early detection such as
were affected.
One in five (19.2 percent) stated that fear of a corona infection was or is the main reason. The very limited range of doctors and appointments (15.7 percent) and too long a waiting time (15.2 percent) were also given as further reasons. However, a little more than every fifth (21.1 percent) check-up appointment was canceled or postponed by the doctor.
Frightening result: Overall, across all specialists, dentists and therapists, an upcoming examination or treatment was canceled or postponed for around every second (46.5 percent) in the last two years, or the patients did not make an appointment despite acute symptoms.
It is now a matter of catching up. Because type 2 diabetes, kidney disease or heart problems – all these diseases can be combated if they are detected early. In the case of cancer, too, experts estimate that prevention and early detection can reduce the number of deaths by up to 75 percent.
Nevertheless, many people in Germany (according to the study, one in three) do not know whether and which check-ups they are entitled to.
A PDF from FOCUS online – Around half a million people are diagnosed with cancer in Germany every year. However, many factors can protect against tumor disease: check-ups, diet, exercise and much more. In this e-paper we summarize the most important knowledge about cancer and how to reduce the risk of developing the disease.
The consumer center lists the following services covered by health insurance:
Dental check-ups (once every six months), vaccinations and pregnancy check-ups are also covered. You can find a detailed list of all preventive medical check-ups covered here.
