Did the COVID-19 pandemic impact paediatric health service utilisation in Switzerland? Interrupted time-series models of health insurance data

Delayed or missed well-child visits, which might persist even after a certain recovery, pose the risk of delayed detection of clinical/developmental abnormalities. Furthermore, missed vaccinations for measles/mumps/rubella increase the likelihood of infections and outbreaks, which can be particularly dangerous for the youngest children. Therefore, promoting catch-up well-child visits and vaccinations is essential. Higher utilisation of telephone consultations during the pandemic may have partially compensated the underutilisation of face-to-face consultations/visits in young children. In adolescents, in whom no changes in the utilisation of face-to-face consultations were observed, the increased use of telephone consultations may indicate an increase in health concerns within this age group.