Software-Based COVID-19 Monitoring Description on Design and Piloting of “CovidCare”

In Germany, most COVID-19 patients turn to their family physician (FP) as their first and often only point of contact. They can usually be treated on an outpatient basis, with some of them deteriorating critically within a short time frame and requiring emergency inpatient admission. Hence, the primary care sec-tor is crucial for the identification and primary management of COVID-19. However, many FP practices reach their limits in providing health care for COVID-19 patients. Additional measures of support offer a way to minimize the risk of infec-tion while still being able to provide adequate health care. Against this background, the CovidCare module for COVID-19 patients (CovidCare) was added to a frame software (Care-Cockpit) hosting already the established FP practice-based case management (PraCMan) for the treatment of multimor-bid patients, where VERAHs play a crucial role. Following the structure of case management, the focus of CovidCare is on structured telephone assessment of risks and symptoms en-abling the FP to determine the onset of illness and to tailor a standardized monitoring set to the individual patient needs, whereas telephone monitoring can be largely delegated to the VERAH. CovidCare aims to reduce uncertainties in health care providers and patients, to aid in timely identification of a se-vere course of COVID-19 and to reduce the workload of FPs. The module is accompanied by the CovidCare study including a process evaluation. Through CovidCare, primary care practice teams have the opportunity to provide a structured and in-dividually tailored telephone monitoring for disease surveillance over a short period of time of 7–21 days following the principle of delegation.

How to plan and perform E-learning in family medicine vocational training lessons learned in the KWBW-verbundweiterbildungplus

As of the start of the COVID-19-pandemic, basis undergraduate, postgraduate as well as continuous medical education had often been switched to e-learning. This is a chance and a challenge at the same time. In this work, we describe the e-learning experiences of the competence center for postgraduate medical education in Baden-Württemberg. We aim to support broad implementation of e-learning by the exchange of educational as well as organizational approaches. In March 2020, we planned synchronic (live) webinars with asynchronic preparation and postprocessing (flipped classroom). We focused on elements to improve interaction. All the process was managed with respect to the program curriculum in a multicentered team. In 2020, n = 263 postgraduate trainees in family medicine (FM trainees) participated in n = 12 online single seminar days of the KWBW Verbundweiterbildungplus. Due to multiple participation, they induced n = 379 participations. N = 353 evaluations could be included (93,1 % response rate). 77 % (n = 182/236) assessed the use of the software Zoom® with satisfying or very satisfying, 75 % (n = 122/163) the use of the software Heiconf® with satisfying or very satisfying. 59 % (n = 208) wanted to continue with seminar days during workdays, whereas 26 % (n = 91) wished for trainings on Saturdays. A technical check was rated as very helpful. From the organizational point of view, an additional lecturer (= moderator) was necessary. Some lecturers needed extra support in advance of the e-learning. We provide didactic elements that can help to improve the interaction between participants which have to be planned ahead. We present a successful approach to face the educational and organizational challenges of e-learning. E-learning was broadly accepted which supports permanent implementation. However, social and collegial interaction is both, most challenging and most important for postgraduate training in family medicine. Therefore, approaches supporting the interaction in e-learning should be developed and implemented. © 2021, Deutscher Arzte-Verlag GmbH. All rights reserved.

Intersectoral online training and exchange during the covid-19 pandemic in a district: Component for intersectoral communication of care

In anticipation of the pressure of the rising numbers in COVID-19 cases on the regional health system, an exchange between the actors engaged in handling the pandemic from a medical perspective in the district of Rhein-Neckar/ Heidelberg was initiated in October 2020. The outpatient and inpatient sector as well as the public health office of the district and the Department of Family Medicine and Health Services Research of the University Hospital participated. A mutual online meeting was planned to enable bidirectional exchange at the intersection of primary care. The mutually identified topics, like criteria for admission, therapy and nursing homes were ver-ified via an online survey (n = 63 participants, 76 % family physicians). Additional topics that had been suggested were passed on to the intersectional actors and, wherever possible, included in the meeting. On 11 December 2020, 71 physicians attended the meeting. In addition to the presentations, 53 questions were asked and discussed by the presenters via chat. Demand for a follow-up meeting was high. In January, a follow-up event with n = 115 participants focusing on COVID-19 vaccinations war organized, again with an active participation and a high request for a follow-up meeting. So, the experiences encourage to continue this format, involving all the actors relevant for a medical management of the pan-demic. This could be a component for fostering a bilateral communication, on the one hand engaging the actors of the primary care sector and on the other hand providing continuing medical education in the dynamic pandemic.