Objective: To reduce pathogen exposure, conserve personal protective equipment, and facilitate health care personnel work participation in the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic, three affiliated institutions rapidly and independently deployed inpatient telemedicine programs during March 2020. We describe key features and early learnings of these programs in the hospital setting.
Methods: Relevant clinical and operational leadership from an academic medical center, pediatric teaching hospital, and safety net county health system met to share learnings shortly after deploying inpatient telemedicine. A summative analysis of their learnings was re-circulated for approval.
Results: All three institutions faced pressure to urgently standup new telemedicine systems while still maintaining secure information exchange. Differences across patient demographics and technological capabilities led to variation in solution design, though key technical considerations were similar. Rapid deployment in each system relied on readily available consumer-grade technology, given the existing familiarity to patients and clinicians and minimal infrastructure investment. Preliminary data from the academic medical center over one month suggested positive adoption with 631 inpatient video calls lasting an average (standard deviation) of 16.5 minutes (19.6) based on inclusion criteria.
Discussion: The threat of an imminent surge of COVID-19 patients drove three institutions to rapidly develop inpatient telemedicine solutions. Concurrently, federal and state regulators temporarily relaxed restrictions that would have previously limited these efforts. Strategic direction from executive leadership, leveraging off-the-shelf hardware, vendor engagement, and clinical workflow integration facilitated rapid deployment.
Conclusion: The rapid deployment of inpatient telemedicine is feasible across diverse settings as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jamia/ocaa077 | DOI Listing |
Malawi Med J
January 2025
Department of Health Systems and Policy, School of Global and Public Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi.
Background: Each year, nearly 400,000 new cases of paediatric hydrocephalus are estimated to occur worldwide, and almost half of these cases are expected to affect children in Africa. At Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH), an urban tertiary hospital in Blantyre, Malawi, located in south-east Africa, around 200 children received neurosurgical treatment for hydrocephalus in 2023. These children require lifelong follow-up and care, which places significant demands on their caregivers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCureus
December 2024
Public Health, Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Fort Lauderdale, USA.
Adolescents with diabetes mellitus (DM) experience poorer glycemic outcomes and lower adherence to self-management regimens compared to other age groups. The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic posed new barriers to DM self-management, including social distancing measures and additional stressors. We conducted a scoping review of peer-reviewed literature to examine self-management regimens and outcomes among adolescents aged 10-17 years with type 1 and type 2 DM during the pandemic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDermatologie (Heidelb)
January 2025
Klinik und Poliklinik für Dermatologie, Venerologie und Allergologie, Universitätsklinikum Leipzig AöR, Philipp-Rosenthal-Str. 23, 04103, Leipzig, Deutschland.
Background: Numerous patients admitted to a general hospital present skin changes as secondary findings. Approximately 800 dermatological consultations are performed annually at the Leipzig University Medical Center.
Objectives: The aim of this study was, after implementation of teledermatological consulting, the retrospective evaluation of that and the resulting satisfaction of the physicians involved.
J Family Med Prim Care
December 2024
Department of Internal Medicine, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE, USA.
Telemedicine is a potential complementary modality with remarkable benefits for future healthcare delivery when incorporated appropriately. This review article examines the importance of telemedicine in various types of healthcare facilities and its utility in remote and underserved settings. PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Embase databases were used for the literature review.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Patient Exp
January 2025
NCN Health (Nathalia, Cobram, Numurkah), Numurkah, VIC, Australia.
This study investigated inpatient acceptance of a unique telemedicine clinical service piloted from December 2022 to June 2025 in 3 rural acute wards in Victoria, Australia. The use of virtual care was complementary to the visiting general practitioner (GP) model common in rural hospitals. The qualitative study employed 3 researcher-designed questions: Did you feel safe using the virtual healthcare doctor?; Did you feel the care you experienced was as it should be? And; If you were offered virtual care again, would you use it? Participants ( = 38) were predominantly over 65 years (95%).
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