Evaluation of an Intrahospital Telemedicine Program for Patients Admitted With COVID-19: Mixed Methods Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The increasing incidence of COVID-19 infection has challenged health care systems to increase capacity while conserving personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies and minimizing nosocomial spread. Telemedicine shows promise to address these challenges but lacks comprehensive evaluation in the inpatient environment.

Objective

The aim of this study is to evaluate an intrahospital telemedicine program (virtual care), along with its impact on exposure risk and communication.

Methods

We conducted a natural experiment of virtual care on patients admitted for COVID-19. The primary exposure variable was documented use of virtual care. Patient characteristics, PPE use rates, and their association with virtual care use were assessed. In parallel, we conducted surve

SUBMITTER: Legler S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8086788 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature