Title: Disruptions in Preventive Services and Subsequent Emergency Admissions

Abstract: This study investigates whether breaks in structured breast cancer screening programs result in increased reliance on emergency hospital services in the subsequent period. The analysis centers on the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when routine mammography rates dropped significantly throughout Europe, thereby interrupting the standard pathway for early detection, follow-up diagnostics, referral, and scheduled treatment. Leveraging data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) across eight nations, the research focuses on women aged 50 to 69, the primary demographic for organized screening initiatives. The authors assess the impact of mammography participation on the likelihood of all-cause overnight emergency hospitalization, utilizing this metric as a broad indicator of downstream pressure on healthcare systems following the interruption of preventive care. To mitigate biases arising from self-selection into screening, the study employs an instrumental variables approach that combines interview timing in Wave 9 with cross-country variations in first-wave restrictions. The findings indicate that the pandemic-induced reduction in mammography usage led to higher rates of emergency hospitalization among women eligible for screening, whereas no comparable effect was observed in women aged 70 and above.

Source: arXiv Generated at: 2026-06-03 00:00:00 UTC