It was announced that a COPD patient in Istanbul went to the hospital 337 times in one year
It has been determined that patients who go to hospitals hundreds of times a year in Istanbul are driven by anxiety and fear of illness rather than physical ailments.
Istanbul Provincial Health Director Assoc. Prof. Dr. Abdullah Emre Güner announced that one patient applied to the hospital 337 times a year due to COPD-related anxiety, while another woman applied 316 times out of fear of hypertension.
Hundreds of Hospital Visits
It has been determined that some citizens in Istanbul visit hospitals with an unusual frequency due to health problems and illness anxiety.
According to information shared by authorities, this situation has reached a dimension that exhausts both the healthcare system and the patients themselves.
The Impact of Anxiety and Fear
It was discovered that a female patient who applied to Okmeydanı Training and Research Hospital 316 times within a year was experiencing a fear of hypertension.
It was noted that the patient believed she would feel relieved by receiving an IV drip in the emergency room, and that anxiety lay at the root of this situation.
COPD and Shortness of Breath Anxiety
It was reported that a similar situation was observed in a male COPD patient, and the individual experiencing shortness of breath applied to the hospital 337 times in a year.
It was stated that the main factor behind such excessive visits is the inability to manage the anxiety created by the symptoms.
Joint Efforts and Decreasing Visits
Persuasion efforts carried out jointly by physicians, psychologists, and psychiatrists for the patient in Okmeydanı yielded results.
Thanks to the support efforts carried out, it was reported that the patient's hospital visits dropped to once a month or even once every two months.
Examination Statistics and Density
Official figures revealed that a total of 148 million examinations were performed across Istanbul in the first 8 months of the year.
It was emphasized that such non-essential applications could hinder the access of people who genuinely need healthcare services.
Call to Apply to Family Physicians
Within the scope of the model led by Minister of Health Prof. Dr. Kemal Memişoğlu, it is aimed to use healthcare services more effectively.
Citizens are advised to consult their family physicians first rather than heading directly to hospitals when they have concerns.