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. 2020 Dec 9;27(12):1871-1877.
doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocaa157.

Leveraging health system telehealth and informatics infrastructure to create a continuum of services for COVID-19 screening, testing, and treatment

Dee Ford  1 , Jillian B Harvey  2 , James McElligott  3 , Kathryn King  3 , Kit N Simpson  2 , Shawn Valenta  4 , Emily H Warr  4 , Tasia Walsh  4 , Ellen Debenham  4 , Carla Teasdale  5 , Stephane Meystre  6 , Jihad S Obeid  7 , Christopher Metts  8 , Leslie A Lenert  9
Affiliations

Leveraging health system telehealth and informatics infrastructure to create a continuum of services for COVID-19 screening, testing, and treatment

Dee Ford et al. J Am Med Inform Assoc. .

Abstract

Objectives: We describe our approach in using health information technology to provide a continuum of services during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. COVID-19 challenges and needs required health systems to rapidly redesign the delivery of care.

Materials and methods: Our health system deployed 4 COVID-19 telehealth programs and 4 biomedical informatics innovations to screen and care for COVID-19 patients. Using programmatic and electronic health record data, we describe the implementation and initial utilization.

Results: Through collaboration across multidisciplinary teams and strategic planning, 4 telehealth program initiatives have been deployed in response to COVID-19: virtual urgent care screening, remote patient monitoring for COVID-19-positive patients, continuous virtual monitoring to reduce workforce risk and utilization of personal protective equipment, and the transition of outpatient care to telehealth. Biomedical informatics was integral to our institutional response in supporting clinical care through new and reconfigured technologies. Through linking the telehealth systems and the electronic health record, we have the ability to monitor and track patients through a continuum of COVID-19 services.

Discussion: COVID-19 has facilitated the rapid expansion and utilization of telehealth and health informatics services. We anticipate that patients and providers will view enhanced telehealth services as an essential aspect of the healthcare system. Continuation of telehealth payment models at the federal and private levels will be a key factor in whether this new uptake is sustained.

Conclusions: There are substantial benefits in utilizing telehealth during the COVID-19, including the ability to rapidly scale the number of patients being screened and providing continuity of care.

Keywords: health systems; informatics; pandemic; telehealth.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Continuum of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) care processes between March 7 and April 22, 2020. HCW: healthcare worker; MUSC: Medical University of South Carolina; VUC: virtual urgent care.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Implementation of monitoring carts and number of weekly calls: March 6 to April 13, 2020.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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