Use of Telemedicine to Expedite and Expand Care During COVID-19
| Autor: | Braden Hexom, Keya A. Patel, Anthony Perry, Carter Neugarten, Meeta Shah, Daniel Popa, Shayna Adams, Michael Gottlieb |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: |
Adult
Male Telemedicine Adolescent Population MEDLINE Ambulatory care Pandemic Ambulatory Care medicine Humans Mass Screening Endemic Infections education Pandemics Mass screening Aged Retrospective Studies Aged 80 and over education.field_of_study RC86-88.9 SARS-CoV-2 business.industry COVID-19 Medical emergencies. Critical care. Intensive care. First aid Retrospective cohort study General Medicine Emergency department Brief Research Report Middle Aged Patient Acceptance of Health Care medicine.disease Emergency Medicine Medicine Female Medical emergency business |
| Zdroj: | Western Journal of Emergency Medicine Western Journal of Emergency Medicine, Vol 22, Iss 5 (2021) |
| ISSN: | 1936-900X |
| DOI: | 10.5811/westjem.2021.4.51317 |
| Popis: | Introduction: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) created challenges with access to care including increased burden on healthcare systems and potential exposure risks for vulnerable patients. To address these needs, Rush University Medical Center created a virtual, urgent care program specifically designed to address these challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This was a retrospective study analyzing adult patients with COVID-19-related telemedicine visits performed between March 1–June 30, 2020. COVID-19-related telemedicine visits refer to those who used the “Concern for Coronavirus” module. We assessed the total number of telemedicine visits using this module, percentage with a subsequent emergency department (ED) visit within seven days, and outcomes (ie, hospitalization status, intubation, and death) of patients who presented to the ED for evaluation. Data are presented using descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 2,974 adult patients accessed the program via the COVID-19 module over the four-month period. Of those, 142 patients (4.8%) had an ED visit within seven days. Only 14 patients (0.5%) required admission. One patient was intubated, and there were no deaths among the telemedicine population. Conclusion: The data suggests that telemedicine may be a safe and effective way to screen and treat patients with possible COVID-19, while reducing potential burdens on EDs. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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