They have never visited the doctor so often before. New FHI data is shocking

The study was published in the journal "Archives of Public Health." Scientists compared data from 2024 with the period before the pandemic. The analysis covered visits to general practitioners and emergency rooms. According to the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI), the number of consultations was 7.1 percent higher than expected. This is the largest such increase in the history of measurements.

The largest group of patients consists of people with respiratory infections. There has also been a clear increase in consultations due to symptoms of severe fatigue. This phenomenon affects the entire country. The data includes both in-person and digital visits.

An increase was recorded in all age groups. Researchers paid particular attention to data concerning children. In the 5–14 age group, the number of visits related to memory problems has risen significantly. Since 2019, the number of such consultations has tripled. According to the authors of the study, the scale of the phenomenon is so large that it affects the functioning of the healthcare system.

Researchers do not point to a single direct cause. Among the possible reasons is the impact of repeated coronavirus infections. The increase in visits often occurred during or just after waves of illness. Other studies show that COVID-19 increases the risk of many other conditions.

Potential factors also include the effects of pandemic restrictions. Social and economic changes, including rising costs of living, may also play a role. Scientists do not rule out that trends visible before 2020 have accelerated. All these elements may have overlapped.

Doctors confirm a greater influx of patients in their daily work. Medical facilities are recording thousands of additional consultations annually. There is also a noticeable increase in the number of digital consultations. This may have lowered the threshold for seeking help.