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Open research questions in COVID-19 and healthcare impacts

292 gap statements mined from COVID-19 and healthcare impacts papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 2,714 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • The long-term effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on health facility visits remains uncertain. Evidence is limited on whether recovery differed between hospitals and township health centres.

    Unequal recovery of health facility visits in hospitals and township health centres after COVID-19 disruption in Henan Province, China, 2014–2024: a time-series study · 2026 · DOI

  • How such policies reshape gender gaps in cancer detection, and whether either sex faces disproportionate harm, remains underexplored.

    Paradox of engagement: precautionary public health alerts and gender inequality in cancer diagnosis—a quasi-experimental study · 2026 · DOI

  • However, its effects on type 2 diabetes incidence remain poorly understood, particularly how they differ between population groups, which has not yet been examined in a Swedish context.

    Disparities in type 2 diabetes incidence trends during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden: a register-based population study · 2026 · DOI

  • Its long-term effect remains uncertain, especially after the major adjustment of China’s COVID-19 control policies at the end of 2022.

    Unequal recovery of health facility visits in hospitals and township health centres after COVID-19 disruption in Henan Province, China, 2014–2024: a time-series study · 2026 · DOI

  • However, to our knowledge, no studies have investigated how the pandemic influenced the number of procedures performed for femoropopliteal peripheral arterial disease (FPD).

    Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Treatment and Outcome of Patients With Femoropopliteal Peripheral Arterial Disease · 2025 · DOI

  • Given the observed decline in activity throughout the study period, further research is necessary to evaluate whether the population’s healthcare needs were adequately met, and to identify any impacts on mortality, life expectancy, unmet healthcare needs, private health spending, or other relevant areas.

    PA2096. The effect of COVID-19 on emergency department visits: Real-world data from Greece, 2016-2024 · 2025 · DOI

  • Their impact on oncology-specific emergency presentations remains poorly defined.

    Weathering the Storm: The Impact of Weather Events, Lockdowns and Holidays on Oncology and General Emergency Presentations to a United Kingdom Tertiary Centre-A 7.5-year Review · 2025 · DOI

  • Impacts of patterns of care during the pandemic should be further explored for healthcare planning to uphold optimal care access and promote effective use of virtual care.

    A population-based analysis of rheumatology care patterns for inflammatory arthritis during COVID-19 in Alberta, Canada · 2024 · DOI

  • Inconsistent results are found regarding social inequalities related to healthcare appointment cancellations during the COVID-19 crisis.

    Social inequalities in medical appointment cancellations and reschedulings at the onset of the COVID-19 epidemic in France · 2024 · DOI

  • It remains unknown whether this downsizing led to increased care in other healthcare settings.

    Who took care of patients with diabetes during the COVID-19-pandemic? A registry-based study · 2024 · DOI

  • Whether the COVID-19 pandemic itself and/or changes in management have led to excess mortality among hematological patients during the COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark has not yet been investigated.

    Mortality in patients with lymphoid malignancies and multiple myeloma was stable upon and during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A population‐based, nation‐wide study · 2024 · DOI

  • Urgent attention is warranted to establish biliary pathways that guarantee timely and definitive management of gallstones for patients.

    ThP5.1 - The Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Complexity of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy · 2024 · DOI

  • Small sample size was a significant limitation; we recommend a larger scale, multi-centre study to investigate this further.

    370 Do Prolonged Surgery Waiting List Times Affect the Incidence of Post-Tonsillectomy Haemorrhage, in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic? · 2024 · DOI

  • The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on asthma hospitalizations and mortality in Brazil is not well understood. There is a need to analyze the epidemiological profile of asthma hospitalizations and deaths in Brazil.

    IMPACTO DA PANDEMIA DE COVID-19 NAS INTERNAÇÕES E MORTALIDADE POR ASMA NO BRASIL: ANÁLISE REGIONAL E SAZONAL · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of information on the costs associated with COVID-19 hospitalizations. The need for estimates of hospitalization costs to inform healthcare policy and resource allocation decisions.

    Hospitalization costs of patients with severe acute respiratory infections due to COVID-19 in a public teaching hospital: a micro-costing approach · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should explore whether implementing COVID-19 vaccination programs targeted at older adults can reduce adverse outcomes, including VTE and mortality, in this high-risk group.

    Vaccination is associated with reduced mortality rates after surgery for hip fractures in the setting of recent COVID-19 infection: an observational study from the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Database · 2026 · DOI

  • The study faces challenges in quantifying the pandemic's impact on life expectancy due to the complexity of the data and the need to control for various factors. The analysis must account for regional differences and structural disparities in healthcare systems and socioeconomic conditions.

    Excess Mortality as the Primary Mediator of COVID-19’s Impact on Life Expectancy in Europe: A Multilevel Longitudinal Analysis of Regional Disparities · 2026 · DOI

  • The pandemic's differential impact across European regions remains inadequately quantified. The mediating mechanisms of the pandemic's impact on life expectancy are not well understood.

    Excess Mortality as the Primary Mediator of COVID-19’s Impact on Life Expectancy in Europe: A Multilevel Longitudinal Analysis of Regional Disparities · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on life expectancy in different regions of Brazil. There is a lack of studies on the differences in mortality rates and life expectancy between regions in Brazil.

    COVID-19 E DIFERENCIAIS NA EXPECTATIVA DE VIDA DA POPULAÇÃO IDOSA POR REGIÕES DO BRASIL · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of studies on the impact of the pandemic on interprofessional relationships. The current study addresses this gap by assessing the specific impact on relationships between pharmacists and physicians.

    The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on interprofessional relationships between pharmacists and physicians · 2026 · DOI

  • The researchers had limited data on the women's vaccination status prior to hospitalization. The study highlights the challenges of managing COVID-19 in pregnancy, particularly in critically ill women.

    Ishodi bolesti COVID-19 u trudnica hospitaliziranih u Klinici za infektivne bolesti „Dr. Fran Mihaljević“ u Zagrebu · 2026 · DOI

  • Few studies have reported the impacts of COVID-19-related delayed treatment; this was a missed opportunity.

    What has the COVID ‐19 pandemic taught us about safety of surgical wait times in urological oncology? · 2025 · DOI

  • Specifically in Brazil, higher DM mortality was observed when counting any mention of DM in the death certificates, even when COVID-19 deaths were excluded, pointing to a greater burden of DM related mortality, and potential underreported COVID-19 deaths.

    Multiple cause of death during the COVID-19 pandemic: a population study In Colombia and Brazil · 2026 · DOI

  • This research prompts further investigation into the desirability of CDMPs among patients, GPs, hospitals and policymakers, crucial for assessing undesirable healthcare shifts in diabetic patients.

    Who took care of patients with diabetes during the COVID-19-pandemic? A registry-based study · 2024 · DOI

  • Aim The operative difficulty of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (LC) varies widely.

    ThP5.1 - The Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Complexity of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy · 2024 · DOI

Most-cited papers in COVID-19 and healthcare impacts

Most recent work

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) How such policies reshape gender gaps in cancer detection, and whether either sex faces disproportionate harm, remains underexplored (“Paradox of engagement: precautionary public health alerts and gender inequality…”, 2026); (2) Its effects on type 2 diabetes incidence remain poorly understood, particularly how they differ between population groups, which has not yet been examined in a Swedish context (“Disparities in type 2 diabetes incidence trends during the COVID-19 pandemic in…”, 2026); (3) The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on asthma hospitalizations and mortality in Brazil is not well understood (“IMPACTO DA PANDEMIA DE COVID-19 NAS INTERNAÇÕES E MORTALIDADE POR ASMA NO…”, 2026); (4) The lack of information on the costs associated with COVID-19 hospitalizations (“Hospitalization costs of patients with severe acute respiratory infections due…”, 2026); (5) Future research should explore whether implementing COVID-19 vaccination programs targeted at older adults can reduce adverse outcomes, including VTE and mortality, in this high-risk group (“Vaccination is associated with reduced mortality rates after surgery for hip…”, 2026). 292 gap statements have been mined from COVID-19 and healthcare impacts papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 2,714 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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