COVID-19 related decline in cancer screenings most pronounced for elderly patients and women in Germany: a claims data analysis.

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze the utilization of cancer screenings in Germany before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The objective of the analysis was to identify the population at particular risk and to derive recommendations for the future use of resources to prevent long-term deteriorations in health outcomes.

Methods: The analysis was conducted based on claims data of all preventive health services for 15,833,662 patients from the largest statutory health insurance fund in Germany.