Telemedicine during COVID-19: a survey of Health Care Professionals’ perceptions

Elawady, Abdula; Khalil, Ahmed; Assaf, Omar; Toure, Samirah; Cassidy, Christopher

doi:10.4081/monaldi.2020.1528

Cited by 48 publications

(65 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…However, it should be taken into account that prior to the COVID-19 pandemic telemedicine was not widely used in Poland, so the experience of healthcare workers in the field of telemedicine is only being gained. The insufficient preparation of the doctors to provide teleconsultations is not limited only to Poland, as in a survey on 114 healthcare workers from the UK as many as 95% stated that there was a lack of appropriate training on providing telemedical services [ 15 ]. In our study, 7.48–14.95% of patients reported technical disturbances with the telephone or internet connection.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of COVID-19 and healthcare system changes on the well-being of rheumatic patients

Opinc¹,

Brzezińska²,

Makowska³

2021

Reumatologia

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Objectives The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the healthcare systems. Many Polish outpatient clinics have been implementing telemedical consultations as a tool to ensure the continuity of care for patients with chronic diseases. The aim of the study was to evaluate patients’ satisfaction with telemedical appointments, as well as availability of the various medical services and patients’ well-being during the pandemic. Material and methods An online-based questionnaire on the experience with telemedical consultations, availability of medical services and current state of health was conducted among Polish rheumatology patients approximately 6 months after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results The survey was completed by 107 respondents with a mean age of 41.52 ±14.33 years. The overall level of satisfaction from telemedical consultations, evaluated with a VAS 1–10 scale, was assessed as 6.23 ±3.04 for teleconsultations in primary healthcare units and 6.00 ±2.80 for rheumatology outpatient units. 42.99% of the respondents were in favour of maintaining telemedical appointments even after the pandemic. Incidences of reduced access to medical services during the COVID-19 pandemic were reported by 77.57% of the patients. Almost half of the respondents reported reduced accessibility to rheumatological care. An alarming decline in health self-esteem, evaluated with a VAS 1–10 scale, was noted from the average 6.37 ±1.92 before COVID-19 to the current rating of 5.78 ±1.91 ( p = 0.0087). Conclusions Polish rheumatology patients are moderately satisfied with the medical teleconsultations in primary health care units and rheumatology outpatient clinics. A substantial number of patients experienced deterioration of well-being as well as limited access to traditional healthcare services, including rheumatology care.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of COVID-19 and healthcare system changes on the well-being of rheumatic patients

Opinc¹,

Brzezińska²,

Makowska³

2021

Reumatologia

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“…Our data are in accordance with other authors, and we agree that telemedicine can be used for selected groups of patients in the post-COVID-19 era. 29 During the first 6 months of virtual monitoring, 10 (13%) of acromegalic patients reported COVID-19. Most of the cases were mild and moderate, but four confirmed cases required hospitalization.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Implementation and Monitoring of a Telemedicine Model in Acromegalic Outpatients in a Low-Income Country During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Naves

Rosa

Lima

et al. 2021

Telemedicine and e-Health

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Background: Telemedicine is a resource to provide health care to patients social distancing and prevent their exposure to the risk of contamination by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in medical-hospital settings. This study evaluated a virtual model of care in acromegalic patients. Methods: We recruited 78 acromegalic patients, 65% female, median age 63 years. Outpatient management was remodeled to simplify access to care by (1) adoption of virtual meetings;(2) collection of blood samples at home; (3) abolishment of printed prescription and provision of electronic files directly to central pharmacy; and (4) drugs delivered to patients' home. Patients and physicians filled electronic surveys 48 h after each consultation.Results: The patients expressed satisfaction with convenience (91.1%), decreased wait time (85.1%), and saving money (79.2%) compared to face-to-face visits. Most patients felt supported by the medical team (89.1%) and kept the prescriptions updated (84.8%). The physicians reported resolutive appointments in 92.2% of cases, despite longer time to reach the patients and subsequent calls to complement missing information. Satisfaction and patient-provider relationship were maintained during the study, but the choice for virtual appointment for the next appointment fell from 78.7% to 34.8% after 6 months. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was confirmed in 13% of patients, mostly mild and moderate manifestations. Conclusion:Telemedicine is a tool for medical care in underserved populations, feasible even in low-income countries. This study suggests that it is difficult to sustain exclusive remote care for more than 6 months. The method could be adopted interchangeably with in-person consultations in acromegalic patients with stable disease.

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“…In France, a telephone survey was conducted in an emergency medical dispatching center at the same period of this study, based on COVID-19 cases only, to better characterize the patients managed in an outpatient setting 12 hours after positive testing [ 21 ]. Considered as a telemedicine solution, the telephone survey is an alternative to face-to-face consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic [ 9 ], and self-reported symptoms are nonetheless clinical signs possibly associated with COVID-19 [ 32 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At the time of this study, the potential of population surveys in identifying COVID-19 contacts among households may have been underestimated. Existing surveys were designed to assess qualitative data such as risk perception, social isolation, or behavioral disorders [ 8 , 9 ]. Since the symptoms are now well documented in the literature [ 10 ] and the tests are more widespread, telephone surveys could also be useful to estimate symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19 contacts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating the Proportion of COVID-19 Contacts Among Households Based on Individuals With Myocardial Infarction History: Cross-sectional Telephone Survey

Fraticelli¹,

Freyssenge²,

Claustre³

et al. 2021

JMIR Form Res

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Background Adults with cardiovascular diseases were disproportionately associated with an increased risk of a severe form of COVID-19 and all-cause mortality. Objective The aims of this study are to report the associated symptoms for COVID-19 cases, to estimate the proportion of contacts, and to describe the clinical signs and behaviors among individuals with and without myocardial infarction history among cases and contacts. Methods A 2-week cross-sectional telephone survey was conducted during the first lockdown period in France, from May 4 to 15, 2020. A total of 668 households participated, representing 703 individuals with pre-existing cardiovascular disease in the past 2 years and 849 individuals without myocardial infarction history. Results High rates of compliance with health measures were self-reported, regardless of age or risk factors. There were 4 confirmed COVID-19 cases that were registered from 4 different households. Based on deductive assumptions of the 1552 individuals, 9.73% (n=151) were identified as contacts, of whom 71.52% (108/151) were asymptomatic. Among individuals with a myocardial infarction history, 2 were COVID-19 cases, and the estimated proportion of contacts was 8.68% (61/703), of whom 68.85% (42/61) were asymptomatic. The cases and contacts presented different symptoms, with more respiratory signs in those with a myocardial infarction history. Conclusions The telephone survey could be a relevant tool for reporting the number of contacts during a limited period and in a limited territory based on the presence of associated symptoms and COVID-19 cases in the households. This study advanced our knowledge to better prepare for future crises.

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Telemedicine during COVID-19: a survey of Health Care Professionals’ perceptions

Cited by 48 publications

References 7 publications

The impact of COVID-19 and healthcare system changes on the well-being of rheumatic patients

The impact of COVID-19 and healthcare system changes on the well-being of rheumatic patients

Implementation and Monitoring of a Telemedicine Model in Acromegalic Outpatients in a Low-Income Country During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Estimating the Proportion of COVID-19 Contacts Among Households Based on Individuals With Myocardial Infarction History: Cross-sectional Telephone Survey

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