With 31% afraid to leave their homes due to COVID-19, the pandemic poses significant barriers to care for high-need patients

WATERTOWN, MA April 9, 2019 — As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic expands globally, US chronic and immunocompromised patients report growing barriers to care and concerns for their health and safety. These findings are from new research conducted by InCrowd, the pioneer for real-time, high-quality primary market intelligence for the life science industry, sourced in partnership with Rare Patient Voice.

“My appointments have been cancelled and I have developed pulmonary arterial hypertension, ascites, anasarca, and pleural effusion, and my specialist appointments and tests have all been cancelled too. I am really short of breath with any exertion and cannot even get the pulmonary function tests that are needed. It is a very scary time for me.” —Autoimmune Disease Patient, Age 47

Though the data covers many aspects of patients’ experiences, concerns around access to care—as shared above—loom large:

• Sixty-nine percent of patients surveyed report some impact to their ability to manage their current conditions due to COVID-19, with 26% expressing high impact and a further 43% noting some impact.
• Nearly one-in-three patients surveyed (31%) report being afraid to leave their homes for treatments because of COVID-19, with 70% sharing that they feel more concerned for their health during this time than usual.
• Only 38% of respondents feel prepared to manage their health during COVID-19, with more than half (58%) reporting that they worry they will lose access to essential treatments.
• While 12% report they are unable to receive their meds, 10% mention appointment cancellations or delays due to the pandemic.

“This data is analogous in many ways with what we’ve observed from our frontline treating physician tracking research,” said Daniel S. Fitzgerald, CEO and president of InCrowd. “The pandemic is causing significant disruption to care delivery, with limited supplies and resources for clinicians and limited access for high-need patients, many of whom can’t risk exposure to COVID-19. We’ll continue to monitor these vulnerable patients and give them a voice through the pandemic.”

Patient remarks reflect the compromises in access to care.

“It is much more difficult for me to leave the house to get my medications and see my doctors, because I am constantly worried that I will come into contact with someone who is carrying the virus.” —Migraine Patient, Age 29

“Loss of work hours means I am now ‘stretching’ my insulin and other diabetic supplies because I am anticipating not being able to afford the copays each month.” —Diabetes Patient, Age 34

Partnering with Rare Patient Voice, InCrowd’s report includes data from 152 patients with mild to severe conditions, responding to a 9-minute microsurvey fielded March 25-26, 2020.

About Rare Patient Voice

Rare Patient Voice is a leading recruiter of patients and caregivers in the US and Canada. With over 100,000 patients and caregivers across 485+ health conditions including rare and non-rare conditions, Rare Patient Voice has completed over 3,000 studies and has rewarded patients/caregivers with over $4.7M for participating in research. 

About InCrowd

InCrowd, a SARORAS company, is the life science, industry leader and pioneer for real-time, mobile-first, Micro-research solutions, empowering global 100 life science firms with fast, efficient, high-quality primary market insights. InCrowd serves more than 500 brands and meets clients precisely where they are on the market research continuum—offering do-it-yourself tools, do-it-in-partnership, or full-service with our healthcare industry consultants, all while leveraging InCrowd’s technology platform and quality and compliance controls. With access to a 1.8 million-member “Crowd” of healthcare professionals worldwide, reached in 20 different languages, InCrowd delivers market insights professionals high-quality, trusted data to make informed, timely business decisions.