Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Jun 7;21(1):535.
doi: 10.1186/s12879-021-06249-7.

Web-based, rapid and contactless management of ambulatory patients for SARS-CoV-2-testing

Jannik Stemler  1   2   3 , Oliver A Cornely  1   2   3   4   5 , Torsten Noack-Schönborn  6 , Corinna Fohrholz  7 , Sofie Schumacher  1   2 , Leonard Poluschkin  8 , Bernd Binder  9 , Clara Lehmann  1   3   10 , Georg Langebartels  11
Affiliations

Web-based, rapid and contactless management of ambulatory patients for SARS-CoV-2-testing

Jannik Stemler et al. BMC Infect Dis. .

Abstract

Background: During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic a mass casualty incident of ambulatory patients occurred at the COVID-19 rapid response infrastructure (CRRI) facility at the University Hospital of Cologne (UHC). We report the development of a patient-centred mobile-device solution to support efficient management of the facility, triage of patients and rapid delivery of test results.

Methods: The UHC-Corona Web Tool (CWT) was developed as a web-based software useable on each patient's smartphone. It provides, among others, a self-reported medical history including type and duration of symptoms and potential risk contacts and links all retrieved information to the digital patient chart via a QR code. It provides scheduling of outpatient appointments and automated transmission of SARS-CoV-2 test results.

Results: The UHC-CWT was launched on 9 April 2020. It was used by 28,652 patients until 31 August 2020. Of those, 15,245 (53,2%) consulted the CRRI, representing 43,1% of all CRRI patients during the observed period. There were 8304 (29,0%) specifications concerning travel history and 17,145 (59,8%) indications of ≥1 symptom of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The most frequently indicated symptoms were sore throat (60,0%), headache (50,7%), common cold (45,1%) and cough (42,6%) while 11,057 (40,2%) patients did not report any symptoms. After implementation of the UHC-CWT, the amount of patient contacts per physician rose from 38 to 98,7 per day. The personnel for communication of test results were reduced from four on seven days to one on five days.

Conclusion: The UHC-CWT is an effective digital solution for management of large numbers of outpatients for SARS-CoV-2 testing.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; Digital medicine; SARS-CoV-2 testing strategy; Web-based patient management.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

JS reports research grants from Basilea Pharmaceuticals Inc., and travel grants from Meta-Alexander Foundation and from German Society for Infectious Diseases e.V. outside the submitted work; OAC is supported by the German Federal Ministry of Research and Education, is funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) under Germany’s Excellence Strategy - CECAD, EXC 2030–390661388 and has received research grants from Actelion, Amplyx, Astellas, Basilea, Cidara, Da Volterra, F2G, Gilead, Janssen, Medicines Company, Melinta, Merck/MSD, Octapharma, Pfizer, Scynexis, is a consultant to Actelion, Allecra, Amplyx, Astellas, Basilea, Biosys, Cidara, Da Volterra, Entasis, F2G, Gilead, Matinas, MedPace, Menarini, Merck/MSD, Mylan, Nabriva, Noxxon, Octapharma, Paratek, Pfizer, PSI, Roche Diagnostics, Scynexis, and Shionogi, and received lecture honoraria from Al-Jazeera Pharmaceuticals, Astellas, Basilea, Gilead, Grupo Biotoscana, Merck/MSD and Pfizer outside the submitted work; TN-S declares no conflict of interest; CF is an employee of Healex GmbH and otherwise declares no conflict of interest; SS declares no conflict of interest; LP declares no conflict of interest; BB declares no conflict of interest; CL declares no conflict of interest; GL declares no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow diagram of the organizational structure of the CRRI including UHC Corona Web Tool. CRRI, COVID-19 rapid response infrastructure; UHC, University Hospital Cologne
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Characteristics of UHC Corona Web Tool users. CRRI, COVID-19 rapid response infrastructure facility; UHC, University Hospital of Cologne. [1] Feature excluded since calendar week 27 due to inaccurate answers. [2] included since May 17th, 2020 (calendar week 28). [3] Inconclusive test results usually lead to a rapid notification of the patient and a repeated appointment for an additional swab for SARS-CoV-2 PCR; two patients did not consult the CRRI again after being notified to do so
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Patient contacts, number of UHC physicians and SARS-CoV-2 test results from naso−/oropharyngeal swabs at CRRI. CRRI, COVID-19 rapid response infrastructure facility; UHC, University Hospital of Cologne, POS, positive SARS-CoV-2 test result; NEG, negative SARS-CoV-2 test result; FRAGL, inconclusive SARS-CoV-2 test result
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Augustin M, Schommers P, Suárez I, Koehler P, Gruell H, Klein F, Maurer C, Langerbeins P, Priesner V, Schmidt-Hellerau K, Malin JJ, Stecher M, Jung N, Wiesmüller G, Meissner A, Zweigner J, Langebartels G, Kolibay F, Suárez V, Burst V, Valentin P, Schedler D, Cornely OA, Hallek M, Fätkenheuer G, Rybniker J, Lehmann C. Rapid response infrastructure for pandemic preparedness in a tertiary care hospital: lessons learned from the COVID-19 outbreak in Cologne, Germany, February to March 2020. Euro Surveill. 2020;25(21):2000531. 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.21.2000531. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Laufs J, Elsbernd H, Hölzl F, Winter KD. Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) - outbreak in North Rhine-Westphalia (district of Heinsberg) - first diagnosis of a COVID-19 manifestation in a couple. Dtsch Med Wochenschr. 2020;145(10):665–669. doi: 10.1055/a-1163-1335. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Kreidl P, Schmid D, Maritschnik S, Richter L, Borena W, Genger JW, et al. Emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Austria. Wien Klin Wochenschr. 2020;29(155):1–8. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Wu Z, McGoogan JM. Characteristics of and important lessons from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in China: summary of a report of 72 314 cases from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Jama. 2020;323(13):1239–1242. doi: 10.1001/jama.2020.2648. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Ferioli M, Cisternino C, Leo V, Pisani L, Palange P, Nava S. Protecting healthcare workers from SARS-CoV-2 infection: practical indications. Eur Respir Rev. 2020;29(155):200068. 10.1183/16000617.0068-2020. - PMC - PubMed