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Observational Study
. 2020 Aug 6;22(8):e19678.
doi: 10.2196/19678.

The Internet Hospital Plus Drug Delivery Platform for Health Management During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Observational Study

Liang Ding #  1 , Qiuru She #  2 , Fengxian Chen  2 , Zitong Chen  2 , Meifang Jiang  2 , Huasi Huang  2 , Yujin Li  2 , Chaofeng Liao  2
Affiliations
Observational Study

The Internet Hospital Plus Drug Delivery Platform for Health Management During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Observational Study

Liang Ding et al. J Med Internet Res. .

Abstract

Background: Widespread access to the internet has boosted the emergence of online hospitals. A new outpatient service called "internet hospital plus drug delivery" (IHDD) has been developed in China, but little is known about this platform.

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the characteristics, acceptance, and initial impact of IHDD during the outbreak of COVID-19 in a tertiary hospital in South China.

Methods: The total number of and detailed information on online prescriptions during the first 2 months after work resumption were obtained. Patients' gender, age, residence, associated prescription department, time of prescription, payment, and drug delivery region were included in the analysis.

Results: A total of 1380 prescriptions were picked up or delivered between March 2 and April 20, 2020. The largest group of patients were 36-59 years old (n=680, 49.3%), followed by the 18-35 years age category (n=573, 41.5%). In total, 39.4% (n=544) of the patients chose to get their medicine by self-pickup, while 60.6% (n=836) preferred to receive their medicine via drug delivery service. The top five online prescription departments were infectious diseases (n=572, 41.4%), nephrology (n=264, 19.1%), endocrinology (n=145, 10.5%), angiocardiopathy (n=107, 7.8%), and neurology (n=42, 3%). Of the 836 delivered prescriptions, 440 (52.6%) were sent to Guangdong Province (including 363 [43.4%] to Shenzhen), and 396 (47.4%) were sent to other provinces in China.

Conclusions: The IHDD platform is efficient and convenient for various types of patients during the COVID-19 crisis. Although offline visits are essential for patients with severe conditions, IHDD can help to relieve pressure on hospitals by reducing an influx of patients with mild symptoms. Further efforts need to be made to improve the quality and acceptance of IHDD, as well as to regulate and standardize the management of this novel service.

Keywords: COVID-19; IHDD; drug delivery; health management; internet hospital; internet hospital plus drug delivery.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Online workflow of the internet hospital.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The number of and total payments pertaining to online prescriptions.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Regional distribution of prescription deliveries.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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