Pediatric telehealth gets 'trial by fire' during COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT

Infectious Diseases in Children Editorial Board Member C. Buddy Creech, MD, MPH, associate professor of pediatrics and director of the Vanderbilt Vaccine Research Program at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said he and his colleagues have been using telehealth services since before the pandemic and were prepared for the shift in practice. 'A good place to start' According to findings from a Kaiser Family Foundation tracking poll, 48% of people have skipped or postponed medical care during the pandemic, and 11% of those who have skipped care said their condition got worse. Infectious Diseases in Children Editorial Board Member William T. Gerson, MD, FAAP, clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Vermont College of Medicine, said it took some time to adjust to using telehealth, but in 3 decades of practice, he has built a level of trust with his patients, which made it easier. Mental health care Experts have expressed concern over the potential negative mental health effects in children who have been in lockdown at home during the pandemic.