Where Virtual Care Was Already a Reality: Experiences of a Nationwide Telehealth Service Provider During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
J Med Internet Res
; 22(12): e22727, 2020 12 15.
Artículo
en Inglés
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-977718
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in the use of and demand for telehealth services.OBJECTIVE:
Here, we describe the utilization of telehealth services provided by Doctor On Demand, Inc., a well-known telehealth company in the United States, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also explore how the number of virtual visits, reasons for visits, and patients served changed over time.METHODS:
We reported data as a percentage change from the baseline week during 2 distinct time periods February-June 2019 and February-June 2020 based on 4 categories of visits respiratory illness, unscheduled behavioral health, scheduled behavioral health, and chronic illness.RESULTS:
In 2020, the total visit volume increased considerably from March through April 7, 2020 (59% above the baseline) and then declined through the week of June 2 (15% above the baseline). Visits for respiratory illnesses increased through the week of March 24 (30% above the baseline) and then steadily declined through the week of June 2 (65% below the baseline). Higher relative increases were observed for unscheduled behavioral health and chronic illness visits through April (109% and 131% above the baseline, respectively) before a decline through the week of June 2 (69% and 37% above the baseline, respectively). Increases in visit volume among rural residents were slightly higher than those among urban residents (peak at 64% vs 58% above the baseline, respectively).CONCLUSIONS:
Although this telehealth service provider observed a substantial increase in the volume of visits during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is interesting to note that this growth was not fueled by COVID-19 concerns but by visits for behavioral health and chronic illness. Telehealth services may play a role as a "safety valve" for patients who have difficulty accessing care during a public health emergency.Palabras clave
Texto completo:
Disponible
Colección:
Bases de datos internacionales
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Telemedicina
/
COVID-19
Tipo de estudio:
Estudio observacional
/
Investigación cualitativa
Límite:
Humanos
País/Región como asunto:
America del Norte
Idioma:
Inglés
Revista:
J Med Internet Res
Asunto de la revista:
Informática Médica
Año:
2020
Tipo del documento:
Artículo
País de afiliación:
22727
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