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Endo Y, Woldesenbet S, Tsilimigras DI, Munir MM, Khalil M, Khan MMM, Altaf A, Rashid Z, Catalano G, Odysseas CP, Pawlik TM. Effect of Telemedicine Use on Medical Spending and Health Care Utilization among Patients with Gastrointestinal Cancer. J Gastrointest Surg 2024:S1091-255X(24)00503-1. [PMID: 38901553 DOI: 10.1016/j.gassur.2024.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION We sought to assess the impact of telemedicine on healthcare utilization and medical expenditures among patients with a diagnosis of gastrointestinal (GI) cancer. METHODS Patients with a newly diagnosed GI cancer from 2013 to 2020 were identified from the IBM MarketScan database. Healthcare utilization, total medical outpatient insurance payments within one-year post-diagnosis, and out-of-pocket (OOP) expenses between telemedicine users and non-users were assessed after propensity score matching (PSM). RESULTS Among 32,677 patients with a GI cancer (esophageal, n=1,862, 5.7%; gastric, n=2,009, 6.1%; liver, n=2,929, 9.0%; bile duct, n=597, 1.8%; pancreas, n=3,083, 9.4%; colorectal, n=22,197, 67.9%), a total of 3,063 (9.7%) utilized telemedicine. After PSM (telemedicine users, n=3,064; non-users, n=3,064), telemedicine users demonstrated a higher frequency of clinic visits (median: 5.0 days, IQR 4.0-7.0 vs. non-users: 2.0 days, IQR 2.0-3.0, p<0.001) and fewer potential days missed from daily activities (median: 7.5 days, IQR 4.5-12.5 vs. non-users: 8.5 days, IQR 5.5-13.5, p<0.001). Total medical spending per month and utilization of emergency room visits for telemedicine users was higher versus non-users (median: $10,658, IQR $5,112-$18,528 vs. non-users: $10,103, IQR $4,628-$16,750; 46.8% vs. 42.6%, both p<0.01), while monthly OOP costs were comparable (median: $273, IQR $137-$449 for telemedicine users vs. non-users: $268, IQR $142-$434, p=0.625). CONCLUSION Telemedicine utilization was associated with increased outpatient clinic visits yet reduced potential days missed from daily activities among patients with GI cancer. Telemedicine users tended to have higher ER visits rate and total medical spending per month, although monthly OOP costs were comparable with non-users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutaka Endo
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH
| | - Selamawit Woldesenbet
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH
| | - Diamantis I Tsilimigras
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH
| | - Muhammad Musaab Munir
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH
| | - Mujtaba Khalil
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH
| | - Muhammad Muntazir Mehdi Khan
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH
| | - Abdullah Altaf
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH
| | - Zayed Rashid
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH
| | - Giovanni Catalano
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH
| | - Chatzipanagiotou P Odysseas
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH
| | - Timothy M Pawlik
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH
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Katsuki M, Kaido MS, Sato D. A Case of Headache Treated by Online Telemedicine in Collaboration With a Midwifery Home. Cureus 2024; 16:e61203. [PMID: 38939244 PMCID: PMC11208752 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.61203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Midwifery centers are places where midwives not only provide antenatal checkups and delivery care but also offer a wide range of health guidance to pregnant women, postpartum mothers, newborns, and older women. In recent years, midwives have also provided onsite and online health guidance. However, diagnosis and prescribing medication are impossible in midwifery centers because no doctor is present. If the midwife determines that the patient should consult doctors, the patient may have to go to a hospital and see doctors in person, which can be burdensome. Online telemedicine facilitates midwife-doctor collaboration and may solve this problem. We report a case of headache management by telemedicine that minimized the patient's travel burden by collaborating with a midwifery center that provides onsite, visiting, and online health guidance for patients who have difficulty visiting a hospital due to postpartum period, childcare, and breastfeeding. A 29-year-old woman and her husband were raising an infant in Sado City (a remote island across the sea), Niigata Prefecture. She developed acute back pain and was bedridden for several days due to immobility. She consulted a midwife because of stress and anxiety caused by childcare and acute back pain, as well as newly occurring headaches. The midwife visited her and provided on-site health guidance. The midwife decided that a doctor's diagnosis and treatment with painkillers were desirable for the headache and back pain, so she contacted a doctor based on the patient's request. The doctor provided online telemedicine across the sea, diagnosed her headache as a tension-type headache, and prescribed acetaminophen 500 mg as an abortive prescription. The prescription was faxed to a pharmacy on the island, and the original was sent by post. The midwife picked up the medication and delivered it to the patient. After taking the medication, the patient's back pain and headache went into remission. Collaboration between midwifery centers that provide onsite, visiting, and online health guidance and medical institutions that offer online telemedicine can potentially improve accessibility to medical care. It differs from conventional online telemedicine in the midwife's coordination practice by monitoring the patient's condition and requesting the physician based on the patient's request.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahito Katsuki
- Physical Education and Health Center, Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka, JPN
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tsubame-Sanjo Sugoro Neurospine Clinic, Sanjo, JPN
| | | | - Daiki Sato
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tsubame-Sanjo Sugoro Neurospine Clinic, Sanjo, JPN
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Kuwayama T, Kotani K. Relationship Between Clinics Offering Telemedicine and Population Density in Japan: An Ecological Study. TELEMEDICINE REPORTS 2024; 5:99-104. [PMID: 38595726 PMCID: PMC11002558 DOI: 10.1089/tmr.2023.0054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Background The number of clinics offering telemedicine in Japan has been increasing. Regional characteristics such as population density and the number of physicians may be associated with the provision of telemedicine. This study investigated the relationship between clinics offering telemedicine and such regional characteristics for each prefecture in Japan. Methods Data were collected from publicly available information that included the percentage of clinics offering telemedicine (real-time synchronous type) among all clinics (in 2022), population density, and the number of physicians for each of Japan's 47 prefectures. An ecological study was carried out to determine the correlation between the percentage of clinics offering telemedicine and regional characteristics for each prefecture, and Pearson correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis adjusted for regional characteristics were performed. Results The min-max and mean levels were, respectively, 3.4-39.2% and 15.6% of clinics offering telemedicine, 66.6-6402.6 and 657.1 people per square kilometer of population density, and 185.2-356.7 and 274.0 physicians per 100,000 people. Geographically, the northeastern regions appeared to show a high percentage of clinics offering telemedicine relative to the southwestern regions. There was a significant negative correlation between the percentage of clinics offering telemedicine and population density (r = -0.31, p < 0.05; β = -0.31, p < 0.05). Discussion The negative relationship of the provision of telemedicine in clinics with population density throughout Japan might be a reflection to ensure residents' access to clinics in less populated areas. Although further detailed studies are needed to confirm this, population density might be a useful measure for considering whether to offer telemedicine in clinics in Japan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Kuwayama
- Division of Community and Family Medicine, Center for Community Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke-City, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Kotani
- Division of Community and Family Medicine, Center for Community Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke-City, Japan
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Yakubu AO, Olalude O, Salami M, Amuta AC, Amusa A, Salaudeen HA, Awoyemi AJ. Telemedicine and Neurology: A Survey of Neurology Patients in a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital. Cureus 2024; 16:e57916. [PMID: 38725763 PMCID: PMC11081517 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.57916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Telemedicine has been recognized as a viable solution for addressing the shortage of medical professionals in developing countries such as Nigeria. Tele-neurology has the potential to provide remote consultations and care for patients with neurological conditions, thereby reducing the burden of travel and improving access to medical care. Despite its growing popularity, there is a lack of research on patient's views on this mode of care delivery in Nigeria. This study was conducted to investigate patient's perspectives on the use of tele-neurology in Nigeria. Methodology A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 398 neurology patients at Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, Ogun State, Nigeria. The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a chi-square test using p < 0.05. Results Only 3% of our respondents had previously used telemedicine, with 78.1% of the respondents open to using telemedicine as a means of consultation. The disadvantages of telemedicine noted include limitations in assessing neurological status (94.7%), difficulty in explaining health conditions (84.4%), and lack of technical support (14.6%). The majority of respondents (96.5%) believed telemedicine will help in saving time. There was a statistically significant association between propensity to use telemedicine and time spent in the hospital (0.045) and time off work (<0.001). The propensity to use telemedicine was statistically significant to the use of email (0.001) and type of email address (0.001). Conclusion The findings suggested that there is a need for healthcare providers and policymakers to invest in developing telemedicine to improve access to care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aliu O Yakubu
- Department of Old Age Psychiatry, University Hospital Wishaw NHS Trust, Wishaw, GBR
| | - Oluwakemi Olalude
- Department of Internal Medicine, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, NGA
| | - Mayowa Salami
- Department of Paediatrics, Princess Royal Maternity Hospital NHS Trust, Glasgow, GBR
| | - Augustine C Amuta
- Department of Health and Wellness, Prince George's County Health Department, Upper Marlboro, USA
| | - Abeedat Amusa
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Obafemi Awolowo College of Health Sciences, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, NGA
| | - Hasanat A Salaudeen
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Obafemi Awolowo College of Health Sciences, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, NGA
| | - Ayodeji J Awoyemi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Obafemi Awolowo College of Health Sciences, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, NGA
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Miyawaki A, Kitajima K, Iwata A, Sato D, Tsugawa Y. Physician characteristics associated with antiviral prescriptions for older adults with COVID-19 in Japan: an observational study. BMJ Open 2024; 14:e083342. [PMID: 38490659 PMCID: PMC10946352 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-083342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Although guidelines recommend antiviral therapy for outpatients with COVID-19 who are at high risk of progressing to severe conditions, such as older adults, many patients do not receive appropriate treatment. Little is known, however, about the physician factors associated with the prescription of guideline-recommended antiviral therapy for patients with COVID-19. DESIGN A cross-sectional study. SETTING Data including outpatient visits in primary care clinics in Japan from April to August 2023. PARTICIPANTS We analysed 30 953 outpatients aged ≥65 years treated with COVID-19 (mean (SD) age, 75.0 (7.6) years; 17 652 women (57.0%)) in 1394 primary care clinics. OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome was the prescription of guideline-recommended antivirals (ie, nirmatrelvir-ritonavir or molnupiravir), adjusted for patient characteristics, months of visits and regions. RESULTS Antiviral prescriptions were concentrated among a small proportion of physicians; for example, the top 10% of physicians that had the largest number of nirmatrelvir-ritonavir prescriptions accounted for 92.4% of all nirmatrelvir-ritonavir prescriptions. After adjusting for potential confounders, physicians with higher patient volumes were more likely to prescribe guideline-recommended antivirals to their patients (adjusted OR (aOR) for high vs low volume, 1.76; 95% CI 1.31 to 2.38; adjusted p<0.001). We found no evidence that the likelihood of guideline-recommended antiviral prescription differed based on physicians' gender (aOR for women vs men, 1.24; 95% CI 0.88 to 1.74; adjusted p=0.48) or age (aOR for 45-59 vs <45 years, 1.16; 95% CI 0.87 to 1.54; adjusted p=0.48; aOR for ≥60 vs <45 years, 0.88; 95% CI 0.66 to 1.16; adjusted p=0.48). These patterns were similar when examining nirmatrelvir-ritonavir and molnupiravir separately. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that provider-level factors, such as the clinical experience of treating the patients with COVID-19, play an important role in the appropriate prescription of antiviral medications for COVID-19 in the primary care setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsushi Miyawaki
- Department of Health Services Research, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Health Economics, School of Public Health, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | | | | | - Yusuke Tsugawa
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Health Policy and Management, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, California, USA
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Castillo-Rodenas M, Vicente Gómez JÁ, Fuster-Casanovas A, Miró Catalina Q, Vidal-Alaball J, López Seguí F. Impact of COVID-19 on the Pediatric Primary Care Model in Catalonia: Analysis of Changes in the Number and Type of Face-to-Face and Remote Visits. JMIR Pediatr Parent 2024; 7:e49943. [PMID: 38532544 PMCID: PMC11004613 DOI: 10.2196/49943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The outbreak of COVID-19 has turned the care model of health systems around the world upside down. The health care crisis has led to opportunities for digital health to deliver quality care, and the system has been redirected toward telemedicine. In Catalonia, Spain, as of March 2020, the pattern of visits in primary care pediatric consultations changed, such that face-to-face visits decreased in favor of non-face-to-face visits. Objective This study aimed to analyze variations in the types of pediatric visits in primary care centers in Catalonia before and after the onset of COVID-19. Methods This was a descriptive observational study based on administrative data. The number and type of visits to primary care pediatric services in Catalonia between January 2019 and December 2022 were studied. Results A drop of more than 80% in face-to-face visits and an increase of up to 15 times in remote visits were observed as of March 2020 compared to the previous year. Subsequently, the face-to-face attendance rate began to recover, although it did not reach the same rate as before COVID-19. Non-face-to-face visits were maintained, representing more than 20% of the total after more than 2 years of the pandemic. Conclusions COVID-19 has been the trigger for a transition in the types of visits to primary care pediatric services. The COVID-19 pandemic was a clear catalyst for the integration of telemedicine in Catalan pediatric health care. In this context, although face-to-face consultations have recovered in absolute numbers, after the pandemic period, the weight of telemedicine has increased.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Castillo-Rodenas
- Centre d'Atenció Primària Cardona, Gerència d'Atenció Primària i a la Comunitat Catalunya Central, Institut Català de la Salut, Cardona, Spain
| | | | - Aïna Fuster-Casanovas
- Unitat de Suport a la Recerca de la Catalunya Central, Fundació Institut Universitari per a la Recerca a l'Atenció Primària de Salut Jordi Gol i Gurina, Sant Fruitós de Bages, Spain
| | - Queralt Miró Catalina
- Unitat de Suport a la Recerca de la Catalunya Central, Fundació Institut Universitari per a la Recerca a l'Atenció Primària de Salut Jordi Gol i Gurina, Sant Fruitós de Bages, Spain
- Health Promotion in Rural Areas Research Group, Gerència d'Atenció Primària i a la Comunitat Catalunya Central, Institut Català de la Salut, Sant Fruitós de Bages, Spain
| | - Josep Vidal-Alaball
- Unitat de Suport a la Recerca de la Catalunya Central, Fundació Institut Universitari per a la Recerca a l'Atenció Primària de Salut Jordi Gol i Gurina, Sant Fruitós de Bages, Spain
- Health Promotion in Rural Areas Research Group, Gerència d'Atenció Primària i a la Comunitat Catalunya Central, Institut Català de la Salut, Sant Fruitós de Bages, Spain
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain
| | - Francesc López Seguí
- Chair in ICT and Health, Centre for Health and Social Care Research (CESS), University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain
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Cunha AS, Pedro AR, V Cordeiro J. Challenges of Using Telemedicine in Hospital Specialty Consultations during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Portugal According to a Panel of Experts. ACTA MEDICA PORT 2024; 37:198-206. [PMID: 38430471 DOI: 10.20344/amp.19931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of telemedicine as a means of reducing face-to-face contact and protecting professionals and patients. In Portugal, the number of hospital telemedicine consultations has significantly increased. However, the rapid implementation of telemedicine has also led to disparities in access to these services, resulting in inequalities in healthcare delivery. The aim of this study was to identify the main challenges to accessing hospital medical specialty consultations through telemedicine in Portugal during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, this study aimed to establish a consensus on possible solutions for the challenges which were identified. METHODS This study used the nominal group technique, which involved a panel of 10 experts. The panel generated a total of 71 ideas, which were then categorized into three groups: A) challenges relating to patients, which impact access to hospital-based medical specialty consultations through telemedicine; B) challenges relating to professionals, institutions and health systems, which impact access to hospital medical specialty consultations through telemedicine; C) recommendations to overcome the challenges faced in adopting telemedicine solutions. Each of the ideas was assessed, scored and ranked based on its relevance considering the study objectives. RESULTS This study identified several significant challenges that impacted the adoption of telemedicine in Portugal during the COVID-19 pandemic. The challenges that related to patients (A) that were deemed the most relevant were low digital literacy, lack of information about telemedicine processes, low familiarity with technologies and distrust about the quality of services; the challenges that impacted healthcare professionals, institutions, and health systems (B) and were deemed the most relevant were the lack of integration of telemedicine in the patient's journey, low motivation to adopt telemedicine solutions, poor interoperability between systems, and the absence of the necessary technological equipment. The most relevant recommendations (C) included investing in healthcare institutions, developing clear guidelines for the safety and quality of telemedicine practices, and incorporating telemedicine into the curricula of health professions. CONCLUSION This study identified several challenges that impacted the adoption and implementation of telemedicine services for hospital care in Portugal during the pandemic period. These challenges were related to digital health literacy, technological and operational conditions, and reluctance in technological adoption. To overcome these challenges, training programs for healthcare professionals and patients may be necessary, along with investment in technological infrastructures, interoperability between systems, effective communication strategies and the strengthening of specific regulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Soraia Cunha
- Public Health Research Centre. NOVA National School of Public Health. Universidade NOVA de Lisboa. Lisbon. Portugal
| | - Ana Rita Pedro
- Public Health Research Centre. NOVA National School of Public Health. Universidade NOVA de Lisboa. Lisbon; Public Health Research Centre. Comprehensive Health Research Center (CHRC). NOVA National School of Public Health. Universidade NOVA de Lisboa. Lisbon. Portugal
| | - João V Cordeiro
- Public Health Research Centre. NOVA National School of Public Health. Universidade NOVA de Lisboa. Lisbon; Public Health Research Centre. Comprehensive Health Research Center (CHRC). NOVA National School of Public Health. Universidade NOVA de Lisboa. Lisbon; Interdisciplinary Center of Social Sciences. Universidade NOVA de Lisboa. Lisbon. Portugal
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Liang F, Yang X, Peng W, Zhen S, Cao W, Li Q, Xiao Z, Gong M, Wang Y, Gu D. Applications of digital health approaches for cardiometabolic diseases prevention and management in the Western Pacific region. THE LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. WESTERN PACIFIC 2024; 43:100817. [PMID: 38456090 PMCID: PMC10920052 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2023.100817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs) are the major types of non-communicable diseases, contributing to huge disease burdens in the Western Pacific region (WPR). The use of digital health (dHealth) technologies, such as wearable gadgets, mobile apps, and artificial intelligence (AI), facilitates interventions for CMDs prevention and treatment. Currently, most studies on dHealth and CMDs in WPR were conducted in a few high- and middle-income countries like Australia, China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and New Zealand. Evidence indicated that dHealth services promoted early prevention by behavior interventions, and AI-based innovation brought automated diagnosis and clinical decision-support. dHealth brought facilitators for the doctor-patient interplay in the effectiveness, experience, and communication skills during healthcare services, with rapidly development during the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019. In the future, the improvement of dHealth services in WPR needs to gain more policy support, enhance technology innovation and privacy protection, and perform cost-effectiveness research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengchao Liang
- School of Public Health and Emergency Management, Southern University of Science and Technology, 1088 Xueyuan Avenue, Shenzhen 518055, People's Republic of China
| | - Xueli Yang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environment, Nutrition and Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, 22 Qixiangtai Rd, Tianjin 300070, People's Republic of China
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, 22 Qixiangtai Rd, Tianjin 300070, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen Peng
- Nutrition and Health Promotion Center, Department of Public Health, Medical College, Qinghai University, 251 Ningda Road, Xining City 810016, People's Republic of China
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Glucolipid Metabolic Diseases with Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xining 810008, People's Republic of China
| | - Shihan Zhen
- School of Public Health and Emergency Management, Southern University of Science and Technology, 1088 Xueyuan Avenue, Shenzhen 518055, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenzhe Cao
- School of Public Health and Emergency Management, Southern University of Science and Technology, 1088 Xueyuan Avenue, Shenzhen 518055, People's Republic of China
| | - Qian Li
- School of Public Health and Emergency Management, Southern University of Science and Technology, 1088 Xueyuan Avenue, Shenzhen 518055, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiyi Xiao
- School of Public Health and Emergency Management, Southern University of Science and Technology, 1088 Xueyuan Avenue, Shenzhen 518055, People's Republic of China
| | - Mengchun Gong
- Institute of Health Management, Southern Medical University, No. 1023-1063, Shatai South Road, Guangzhou 510515, People's Republic of China
| | - Youfa Wang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University Public Health Institute, Global Health Institute, School of Public Health, International Obesity and Metabolic Disease Research Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, People's Republic of China
| | - Dongfeng Gu
- School of Public Health and Emergency Management, Southern University of Science and Technology, 1088 Xueyuan Avenue, Shenzhen 518055, People's Republic of China
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, 1088 Xueyuan Avenue, Shenzhen 518055, People's Republic of China
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Shimada Y, Misawa W. Quantifying Urban-Rural Inequality in Access to Telemedicine: Descriptive Analysis of Telemedicine Uses and Providers in Japan Under COVID-19. Telemed J E Health 2024; 30:563-569. [PMID: 37585567 DOI: 10.1089/tmj.2023.0221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: COVID-19 has reportedly resulted in disparities in the use of telemedicine due to several socioeconomic factors. While telemedicine was developed to overcome geographical distance, under COVID-19 telemedicine conversely might have deepened the urban-rural telemedicine divide. Especially in Japan, the authority has virtually regulated distant telemedicine use, which favored telemedicine providers who are located in close proximity to patients. This study aimed to quantify the urban-rural disparity in access to telemedicine and investigate heterogeneity between devices (phone and video visits). Methods: We used two nationally comprehensive data sources in Japan. One was a municipality-level telemedicine provider database. Municipality-provider-level analysis intended to measure the uneven distribution of telemedicine providers compared to usual health care providers as well as the difference among clinical departments. The second source was prefecture-level telemedicine utilization data. Prefecture-utilization-level analysis aimed to quantify how the use of telemedicine converged in urban areas. We investigated the heterogeneity between types of devices and time periods. To measure inequality, this study used the Lorenz Curve and Gini coefficients. Ethical review was not required. Results: The data included 16,927 providers (14,111 clinics and 2,816 hospitals) and 88,952 first visits throughout Japan. The main findings were the geographically converged distribution of telemedicine providers compared with overall providers who were not limited to telemedicine and, possibly as a result of it, the geographically unequal utilization of telemedicine compared with in-person visits. Furthermore, video visits were more unequally utilized than phone visits, let alone in-person visits. The disparity was not resolved over time, which implied a systematic cause. Conclusion: Using comprehensive nationwide data, this study revealed geographical inequality relating to access to telemedicine under the COVID-19 special deregulation in Japan. While telemedicine initially aimed to provide access to care for people in rural areas, several factors, including the digital divide, COVID-19, and the Japanese policy, paradoxically could have caused this disparity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhei Shimada
- Department of Public Administration, Graduate School of Law and Politics, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Wakako Misawa
- Department of Health and Social Behavior, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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Passamani RS, de Vargas Ciello H, Brugnaro BH, Dos Santos AN. The psychometric properties and feasibility of the Alberta infant motor scale used in telehealth: A scoping review. Early Hum Dev 2024; 189:105941. [PMID: 38237305 DOI: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2024.105941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Telehealth can be a viable option for improving equitable access to early motor assessment for financially vulnerable individuals. AIM This review aimed to identify the psychometric properties of the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) when applied via telehealth and assess its feasibility. METHODS Papers were systematically retrieved from electronic databases until October 4, 2023. We included studies that assessed the motor development of infants using the AIMS through telehealth. RESULTS Thirteen studies, encompassing 897 infants (449 male and 396 female), were included in this review. Among them, 805 were typical infants and 92 were at risk of motor delay. The age range of participants spanned from 4.9 weeks to 20 months. The studies found good concurrent validity between telehealth and in-person assessments (ICC > 0.98, SEM < 1.6, mean difference = 0.5) and good to excellent reliability (ICC > 0.80) using home videos recorded by parents or video calls with researchers. Telehealth was perceived as feasible by parents, who expressed high satisfaction, and the quality of images and assessments met commendable standards. CONCLUSION Considering the limited number of studies that have assessed infants with neuromotor disorders, this scale has the potential for telehealth application in evaluating typical infants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Herika de Vargas Ciello
- Department of Health Science, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Araranguá, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Beatriz Helena Brugnaro
- Department of Physical Therapy, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Adriana Neves Dos Santos
- Department of Health Science, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Araranguá, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
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11
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Inoo Y, Iida H, Yoshioka N, Koyama H, Saigusa Y, Kurasawa K, Inamori M. A Retrospective Observational Study on Telemedicine in Prescribing Low-Dose Pills for Patients with Dysmenorrhea. TELEMEDICINE REPORTS 2024; 5:2-11. [PMID: 38469165 PMCID: PMC10927238 DOI: 10.1089/tmr.2023.0063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Introduction In Japan, telemedicine has gradually expanded due to deregulation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, its current status remains unclear, as it is primarily provided by general practitioners. Meanwhile, telemedicine has begun to be utilized for low-dose estrogen-progestin (LEP) prescriptions for dysmenorrhea. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of medical record data from two gynecology clinics and performed an exploratory evaluation between a group that combined telemedicine and in-person visits during the initial 6 months of LEP treatment, and another group with only in-person visits. Results After propensity score matching, 89 and 83 patients were eligible for the telemedicine and in-person groups, respectively, with 53 patients in both. The characteristics of both groups were similar after matching. There were no significant differences in the probability of abnormal uterine bleeding during the first 6 months of treatment (25% and 43% in each group; p = 0.064), side effects, or treatment efficacy between the two groups. The withdrawal rate at 6 months was significantly higher in the telemedicine group than in the in-person group (13% and 0%, p = 0.013). The average copayment for patients who covered 30% of the total cost was also significantly higher in the telemedicine group after 1 and 3 months of LEP prescription. Conclusion The appropriate combination of telemedicine and in-person visits is currently employed in hospital visits, which does not differ significantly from in-person visits. Given the retrospective nature of this study and the limited number of cases, further investigation is necessary in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumi Inoo
- Department of Medical Education, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
- Medley, Inc., Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Iida
- Department of Medical Education, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Norihito Yoshioka
- The Medical Corporations of Tsuzuki-kai Tsuzuki Ladies' Clinic, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Hideki Koyama
- The Medical Corporations of Ikuju-kai Isogo You Ladies' Clinic, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yusuke Saigusa
- Department of Biostatistics, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Kentaro Kurasawa
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Masahiko Inamori
- Department of Medical Education, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
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12
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Wong H, Razvi Y, Hamid MA, Mistry N, Filler G. Age and sex-related comparison of referral-based telemedicine service utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario: a retrospective analysis. BMC Health Serv Res 2023; 23:1374. [PMID: 38062437 PMCID: PMC10704790 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-10373-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased utilization of telemedicine services. METHODS A retrospective analysis of all referral-based ambulatory telemedicine services in Ontario from November 2019 to June 2021 was collected from the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) billing database. Only fee-for-service billings were included in the present analysis. Coincident COVID-19 cases were obtained from Public Health Ontario. Comparisons were made based on age bracket, sex, telemedicine and in-person care. RESULTS Billings for telemedicine services in Ontario increased from $1.7 million CAD in November 2019 to $64 million CAD in April 2020 and the proportions reached a mean peak of 72% in April 2020 and declined to 46% in June 2021. A positive correlation was found between the use of telemedicine and COVID-19 cases (p = 0.05). The age group with the highest proportion of telemedicine use was the 10-20-year-olds, followed by the 20-50-year-olds (61 ± 9.0%, 55 ± 7.3%, p = 0.01). Both age groups remained above 50% telemedicine services at the end of the study period. There seemed to be higher utilization by females (females 54.2 ± 8.0%, males 47.9 ± 7.7%, ANCOVA p = 0.05) for all specialties, however, after adjusting for male to female ratio m:f of 0.952:1.0 according to the 2016 census, this was no longer significant. CONCLUSIONS The use of telemedicine services remained at a high level across groups, particularly the 10-50-year-olds. There were clear age preferences for using telemedicine. Studying these differences may provide insights into how the delivery of non-hospital-based medicine has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hubert Wong
- Department of Pediatrics, Scarborough Health Network, 2867 Ellesmere Rd, Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1E 4B9, Canada.
| | - Yasmeen Razvi
- University of Toronto Temerty School of Medicine, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Niraj Mistry
- Department of Pediatrics, Scarborough Health Network, 2867 Ellesmere Rd, Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1E 4B9, Canada
- Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Guido Filler
- Department of Paediatrics, Western University, London, ON, Canada
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Dudley L, Couper I, Kannangarage NW, Naidoo S, Ribas CR, Koller TS, Young T. COVID-19 preparedness and response in rural and remote areas: A scoping review. PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 3:e0002602. [PMID: 37967067 PMCID: PMC10651055 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0002602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
This scoping review used the Arksey and O'Malley approach to explore COVID-19 preparedness and response in rural and remote areas to identify lessons to inform future health preparedness and response planning. A search of scientific and grey literature for rural COVID-19 preparedness and responses identified 5 668 articles published between 2019 and early 2022. A total of 293 articles were included, of which 160 (54.5%) were from high income countries and 106 (36.2%) from middle income countries. Studies focused mostly on the Maintenance of Essential Health Services (63; 21.5%), Surveillance, epidemiological investigation, contact tracing and adjustment of public health and social measures (60; 20.5%), Coordination and Planning (32; 10.9%); Case Management (30; 10.2%), Social Determinants of Health (29; 10%) and Risk Communication (22; 7.5%). Rural health systems were less prepared and national COVID-19 responses were often not adequately tailored to rural areas. Promising COVID-19 responses involved local leaders and communities, were collaborative and multisectoral, and engaged local cultures. Non-pharmaceutical interventions were applied less, support for access to water and sanitation at scale was weak, and more targeted approaches to the isolation of cases and quarantine of contacts were preferable to blanket lockdowns. Rural pharmacists, community health workers and agricultural extension workers assisted in overcoming shortages of health professionals. Vaccination coverage was hindered by weaker rural health systems. Digital technology enabled better coordination, communication, and access to health services, yet for some was inaccessible. Rural livelihoods and food security were affected through disruptions to local labour markets, farm produce markets and input supply chains. Important lessons include the need for rural proofing national health preparedness and response and optimizing synergies between top-down planning with localised planning and coordination. Equity-oriented rural health systems strengthening and action on rural social determinants is essential to better prepare for and respond to future outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilian Dudley
- Division of Health Systems and Public Health, Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ian Couper
- Ukwanda Centre for Rural Health, Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Selvan Naidoo
- Ukwanda Centre for Rural Health, Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Clara Rodriguez Ribas
- Health Emergencies Program, World Health Organisation, Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Theadora Swift Koller
- Department for Gender, Equity and Human Rights, Director General’s Office, World Health Organization, Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Taryn Young
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
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14
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Ostovari M, Zhang Z, Patel V, Jurkovitz C. Telemedicine and health disparities: Association between the area deprivation index and primary care telemedicine utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Clin Transl Sci 2023; 7:e168. [PMID: 37588680 PMCID: PMC10425871 DOI: 10.1017/cts.2023.580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The rapid implementation of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic may have exacerbated the existing health disparities. This study investigated the association between the area deprivation index (ADI), which serves as a measure of socioeconomic deprivation within a geographic area, and the utilization of telemedicine in primary care. Methods The study data source was electronic health records. The study population consisted of patients with at least one primary care visit between March 2020 and December 2021. The primary outcome of interest was the visit modality (office, phone, and video). The exposure of interest was the ADI score grouped into quartiles (one to four, with one being the least deprived). The confounders included patient sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., age, gender, race, ethnicity, insurance coverage, marital status). We utilized generalized estimating equations to compare the utilization of telemedicine visits with office visits, as well as phone visits with video visits. Results The study population included 41,583 patients with 127,165 office visits, 39,484 phone visits, and 20,268 video visits. Compared to patients in less disadvantaged neighborhoods (ADI quartile = one), patients in more disadvantaged neighborhoods (ADI = two, three, or four) had higher odds of using phone visits vs office visits, lower odds of using video visits vs office visits, and higher odds of using phone visits vs video visits. Conclusions Patients who resided in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods mainly relied on phone consultations for telemedicine visits with their primary care provider. Patient-level interventions are essential for achieving equitable access to digital healthcare, particularly for low-income individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mina Ostovari
- Christiana Care Health Services Inc., Wilmington, DE, USA
| | - Zugui Zhang
- Christiana Care Health Services Inc., Wilmington, DE, USA
| | - Vishal Patel
- Christiana Care Health Services Inc., Wilmington, DE, USA
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15
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Cunha AS, Pedro AR, Cordeiro JV. Facilitators and barriers to access hospital medical specialty telemedicine consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic: Systematic Review. J Med Internet Res 2023. [PMID: 37262124 DOI: 10.2196/44188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the digital transition in healthcare, which required a rapid adaptation of stakeholders. Telemedicine has emerged as an ideal tool to ensure continuity of care by allowing remote access to specialized medical services. However, its rapid implementation has exacerbated disparities in healthcare access, especially for the most vulnerable populations. OBJECTIVE To characterize the determinants factors (facilitators and barriers) of access to hospital medical specialty telemedicine consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic; to identify the main opportunities and challenges (technological, ethical, legal and/or social) generated by the use of telemedicine in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS A systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. Four databases (Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed and Cochrane COVID-19 Study Register) were searched for empirical studies published between January 3rd, 2020, and December 31st, 2021, using established criteria. The protocol of this review was registered and published in PROSPERO (CRD42022302825). A methodological quality assessment was performed, and results were integrated into a thematic synthesis. The identification of main opportunities and challenges was done by interpreting and aggregating the thematic synthesis results. RESULTS Of the 106 studies identified, 9 met the inclusion criteria and the intended quality characteristics. All studies were originally from the United States of America (USA). The following facilitating factors of telemedicine use were identified: health insurance coverage; prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection; access to Internet services; access to technological devices; better management of work-life balance; and savings in travel costs. We identified the following barriers to telemedicine use: lack of access to Internet services; lack of access to technological devices; racial and ethnic disparities; low digital literacy; low income; age; language barriers; health insurance coverage; concerns about data privacy and confidentiality; geographic disparities; and need for complementary diagnostic tests or for the delivery of test results. CONCLUSIONS The facilitating factors and barriers identified in this systematic review present different opportunities and challenges, including those of technological nature (access to technological devices and internet services, level of digital literacy), sociocultural and demographic nature (ethnic and racial disparities, geographical disparities, language barriers, age), socioeconomic nature (income level and health insurance coverage), and ethical and legal nature (data privacy and confidentiality). To expand telemedicine access to hospital-based specialty medical consultations and provide high-quality care to all, including the most vulnerable communities, the challenges identified must be thoroughly researched and addressed with informed and dedicated responses. CLINICALTRIAL
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Soraia Cunha
- NOVA National School of Public Health, Public Health Research Centre, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal, Avenida Padre Cruz, Lisbon, PT
| | - Ana Rita Pedro
- NOVA National School of Public Health, Public Health Research Centre, Comprehensive Health Research Center, CHRC, NOVA University Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal, Lisbon, PT
| | - João Valente Cordeiro
- NOVA National School of Public Health, Public Health Research Centre, Comprehensive Health Research Center, CHRC, NOVA University Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal, Lisbon, PT
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Social Sciences (CICS.NOVA), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal, Lisbon, PT
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16
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Cengil AB, Eksioglu B, Eksioglu S, Eswaran H, Hayes CJ, Bogulski CA. Using data analytics for telehealth utilization: A case study in Arkansas. J Telemed Telecare 2023:1357633X231160039. [PMID: 36883218 DOI: 10.1177/1357633x231160039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Many patients used telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we evaluate how different factors have affected telehealth utilization in recent years. Decision makers at the federal and state levels can use the results of this study to inform their healthcare-related policy decisions. METHODS We implemented data analytics techniques to determine the factors that explain the use of telehealth by developing a case study using data from Arkansas. Specifically, we built a random forest regression model which helps us identify the important factors in telehealth utilization. We evaluated how each factor impacts the number of telehealth patients in Arkansas counties. RESULTS Of the 11 factors evaluated, five are demographic, and six are socioeconomic factors. Socioeconomic factors are relatively easier to influence in the short term. Based on our results, broadband subscription is the most important socioeconomic factor and population density is the most important demographic factor. These two factors were followed by education level, computer use, and disability in terms of their importance as it relates to telehealth use. DISCUSSION Based on studies in the literature, telehealth has the potential to improve healthcare services by improving doctor utilization, reducing direct and indirect waiting times, and reducing costs. Thus, federal and state decision makers can influence the utilization of telehealth in specific locations by focusing on important factors. For example, investments can be made to increase broadband subscriptions, education levels, and computer use in targeted locations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aysenur Betul Cengil
- Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Burak Eksioglu
- Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Sandra Eksioglu
- Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Hari Eswaran
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA
- Institute for Digital Health and Innovation, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Corey J Hayes
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA
- Institute for Digital Health and Innovation, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA
- Center for Mental Healthcare and Outcomes Research, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, North Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Cari A Bogulski
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA
- Institute for Digital Health and Innovation, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA
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Wu M, Li Y, Ma C. Patients' choice preferences for specialist outpatient online consultations: A discrete choice experiment. Front Public Health 2023; 10:1075146. [PMID: 36684861 PMCID: PMC9850164 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1075146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Internet hospitals are multiplying with solid support from the Chinese government. In internet hospitals, specialist outpatient online consultations (SOOC) are the primary services. However, the acceptance and utilization rates of this service are still low. Thus, the study of patients' choice preferences for SOOC is needed. Objective To analyze the choice preference of patients' SOOC via a discrete choice experiment, understand the influence of each factor and promote the development of internet hospitals. Methods Via a discrete selection experiment, a total of 162 patients from two general hospitals and three specialized hospitals in Beijing were selected for the questionnaire survey. The choice preferences were analyzed by conditional logit regression. Results From high to low, patients' willingness to pay (WTP) for the attributes of SOOC is as follows: doctors' recommendation rate (β highly recommend = 0.999), the convenience of applying SOOC services (β Convenient = 0.760), the increasing ratio of medical insurance payment for online services compared to offline (β Increase by 10% = 0.545), and the disease's severity (β severe = -3.024). The results of the subgroup analysis showed differences in patient choice preference by age, whether the patients had chronic diseases, income, and medical insurance types. Conclusion Both price and nonprice attributes influence the choice preference of SOOC for patients. Among them, patients are more inclined to choose SOOC when doctors highly recommend it, when it is convenient to apply, when medical insurance increases by 10%, and when disease severity is mild. The current findings show the government and medical institutions formulate auxiliary policies and welfare strategies by clarifying core attributes and adjusting the levels of different attributes to improve patients' acceptance of SOOC. The utility of SOOC and the further development of internet hospitals are radically promoted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengqiu Wu
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Laboratory of Genetics, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Yuhan Li
- School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Chengyu Ma
- School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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Tan X, Qi Z, Chen L, Li D, Cai X, Song Y, Liu Y. A doctor-nurse-patient mobile health management system effectively controls blood glucose in chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a prospective study. BMC Health Serv Res 2022; 22:1564. [PMID: 36544158 PMCID: PMC9768766 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-022-08949-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Coronavirus-2019 pandemic in China aroused increasing interest in telemedicine-supported glycaemic control. We hypothesize that age might influence usage and efficacy of telemedicine-supported glycaemic control. This study aims to measure the effects of a doctor-nurse-patient Mobile Health Management System (MHMS) for fasting plasma glucose (FPG) control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS Four hundred sixty four patients with T2DM were recruited. A one-hour diabetes education provided to each patient and subsequent follow-ups arranged in the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 8th, and 12th week after enrollment were recorded in MHMS. The effectiveness of MHMS was defined as the proportion of patients achieving FPG target (below 126 mg/dL or 7.0mml/L). RESULTS Among the enrolled 464 patients (age: 55.0 ± 13.7 years) who were divided into three groups: young (18-40 years), middle-aged (41-65 years) and elderly (> 65 years), 424 ones completed all follow-ups of 12 weeks. FPG decreased from 178.38 ± 95.04 to 117.90 ± 14.22 mg/dL in the young group, from 180.00 ± 91.08 to 122.94 ± 37.95 mg/dL in the middle-aged group, and from 174.24 ± 80.64 to 128.88 ± 23.4 mg/dL in the elderly group. The proportion of FPG-target-achieved patients increased from 46.2 to 90.4% in the young group, from 32.6 to 82.8% in the middle-aged group, and from 29.5 to 73.3% in the elderly group. The proportion of FPG-target-achieved patients between three age groups were statistically significant (P < 0.001). And the changes of proportion of FPG-target-achieved patients at different follow-up times were statistically significant (P = 0.037). Compared with the young group, the elderly group achieved poorer FPG level (P = 0.032). CONCLUSION MHMS can help patients with T2DM lower FPG and improve proportion of FPG-target-achieved patients. Younger patients may achieve better glycaemic control than older patients. MHMS may serve multitudinous patients with T2DM to achieve adequate FPG self-management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqing Tan
- grid.284723.80000 0000 8877 7471Department of Neurology, Shenzhen Hospital, Southern Medical University, NO.1333, Xinhu Road, Baoan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518000 China ,grid.284723.80000 0000 8877 7471School of Foreign Studies, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515 China
| | - Zonghai Qi
- grid.284723.80000 0000 8877 7471Department of Neurology, Shenzhen Hospital, Southern Medical University, NO.1333, Xinhu Road, Baoan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518000 China ,grid.284723.80000 0000 8877 7471School of Foreign Studies, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515 China
| | - Ling Chen
- grid.284723.80000 0000 8877 7471Nursing Department, Shenzhen Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518000 China
| | - Dongmin Li
- Out-patient Department, Shenzhen Sami International Medical Center, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518118 China
| | - Xiangyin Cai
- Out-patient Department, Shenzhen Qianhai Free Trade Zone Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518038 China
| | - Yi Song
- grid.263488.30000 0001 0472 9649Shenzhen Second People’s Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518037 China
| | - Yajie Liu
- grid.284723.80000 0000 8877 7471Department of Neurology, Shenzhen Hospital, Southern Medical University, NO.1333, Xinhu Road, Baoan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518000 China ,grid.284723.80000 0000 8877 7471School of Foreign Studies, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515 China
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Campbell IM, Crowley TB, Keena B, Donoghue S, McManus ML, Zackai EH. The experience of one pediatric geneticist with telemedicine-based clinical diagnosis. Am J Med Genet A 2022; 188:3416-3422. [PMID: 35906847 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.62920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Telemedicine has long been considered as an attractive alternative methodology in clinical genetics to improve patient access and convenience. Given the importance of the dysmorphology physical examination and anthropometric measurement in clinical genetics, many have wondered if lost information would hamper diagnosis. We previously addressed this question by analyzing thousands of diagnostic encounters in a single practice involving multiple practitioners and found no evidence for a difference in new molecular diagnosis rates. However, our previous study design resulted in variability in providers between in-person and telemedicine evaluation groups. To address this in our present study, we expanded our analysis to 1104 new patient evaluations seen by one highly experienced clinical geneticist across two 10-month periods before and after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Comparing patients seen in-person to those seen by telemedicine, we found significant differences in race and ethnicity, preferred language, and home zip code median income. The clinical geneticist intended to send more genetic testing for those patients seen by telemedicine, but due to issues with test authorization and sample collection, there was no difference in ultimate completion rate between groups. We found no significant difference in new molecular diagnosis rate. Overall, we find telemedicine to be an acceptable alternative to in-person evaluation for routine pediatric clinical genetics care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian M Campbell
- Division of Human Genetics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - T Blaine Crowley
- Division of Human Genetics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Beth Keena
- Division of Human Genetics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Sarah Donoghue
- Division of Human Genetics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Morgan L McManus
- Division of Human Genetics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Elaine H Zackai
- Division of Human Genetics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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Shinoda M, Hataji O, Miura M, Kinoshita M, Mizoo A, Tobino K, Soutome T, Nishi T, Ishii T, Miller BE, Tal-Singer R, Tomlinson R, Matsuki T, Jones PW, Shibata Y. A Telemedicine Approach for Monitoring COPD: A Prospective Feasibility and Acceptability Cohort Study. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis 2022; 17:2931-2944. [PMID: 36419950 PMCID: PMC9677662 DOI: 10.2147/copd.s375049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Telemedicine may help the detection of symptom worsening in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), potentially resulting in improved outcomes. This study aimed to determine the feasibility and acceptability of telemedicine among patients with COPD and physicians and facility staff in Japan. METHODS This was a 52-week multicenter, prospective, single-arm, feasibility and acceptability cohort study of Japanese patients ≥40 years of age with COPD or asthma-COPD overlap. Participants underwent training to use YaDoc, a telemedicine smartphone App, which included seven daily symptom questions and weekly COPD Assessment Test (CAT) questions. The primary endpoint was participant compliance for required question completion. The secondary endpoint was participant and physician/facility staff acceptability of YaDoc based on questionnaires completed at Week 52. The impact of the Japanese COVID-19 pandemic state of emergency on results was also assessed. RESULTS Of the 84 participants enrolled (mean age: 68.7 years, 88% male), 72 participants completed the study. Completion was high in the first six months but fell after that. Median (interquartile range [IQR]) compliance for daily questionnaire entry was 66.6% (31.0-91.8) and 81.0% (45.3-94.3) for weekly CAT entry. Positive participant responses to the exit questionnaire were highest regarding YaDoc ease of use (83.8%), positive impact on managing health (58.8%), and overall satisfaction (53.8%). Of the 26 physicians and facility staff enrolled, 24 completed the study. Of these, the majority (66.7%) responded positively regarding app facilitation of communication between physicians and participants to manage disease. Compliance was similar before and after the first COVID-19 state of emergency in Japan. CONCLUSION Daily telemedicine monitoring is potentially feasible and acceptable to both patients and physicians in the management of COPD. These results may inform potential use of telemedicine in clinical practice and design of future studies. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION JapicCTI-194916.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahiro Shinoda
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tokyo Shinagawa Hospital, Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Osamu Hataji
- Respiratory Center, Matsusaka Municipal Hospital, Matsusaka, Mie, Japan
| | - Motohiko Miura
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tohoku Rosai Hospital, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Masaharu Kinoshita
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagata Hospital, Yanagawa, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Akira Mizoo
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine Japan, Japan Community Healthcare Organization Tokyo Shinjuku Medical Center, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazunori Tobino
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Iizuka Hospital, Iizuka, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Toru Soutome
- Japan Medical & Development, GSK K.K, Minato-Ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takanobu Nishi
- Japan Medical & Development, GSK K.K, Minato-Ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takeo Ishii
- Japan Medical & Development, GSK K.K, Minato-Ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | | | | | - Taizo Matsuki
- Japan Medical & Development, GSK K.K, Minato-Ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Yoko Shibata
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
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21
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Tong L, George B, Crotty BH, Somai M, Taylor BW, Osinski K, Luo J. Telemedicine and health disparities: Association between patient characteristics and telemedicine, in-person, telephone and message-based care during the COVID-19 pandemic. IPEM-TRANSLATION 2022; 3:100010. [PMID: 36340828 PMCID: PMC9617798 DOI: 10.1016/j.ipemt.2022.100010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Telemedicine has been an essential form of care since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, telemedicine may exacerbate disparities for populations with limited digital literacy or access, such as older adults, racial minorities, patients of low income, rural residences, or limited English proficiency. From March 2020 to March 2022, this retrospective cohort study analyzed the use of in-person, phone/message, and telemedical care at a single tertiary care center in an oncology department. We investigated the association between economic, racial, ethnic, socioeconomic factors and forms of care, including in-person visits, telemedicine-based visits, and telephone/messages. The study results show that telemedicine utilization is lower among patients 65 and older, female patients, American Indian or Alaska Native patients, uninsured patients, and patients who require interpreters during clinical visits. As a result, it is unlikely that telemedicine will provide equal access to clinical care for all populations. On the other hand, in-person care utilization remains low in low-income and rural-living patients compared to the general population, while telephone and message use remains high in low-income and rural-living patients. We conclude that telemedicine is currently unable to close the utilization gap for populations of low socioeconomic status. Patients with low socioeconomic status use in-person care less frequently. For the disadvantaged, unusually high telephone or message utilization is unlikely to provide the same quality as in-person or telemedical care. Understanding the causes of disparity and promoting a solution to improve equal access to care for all patients is critical.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Tong
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Department of Health Informatics and Administration, United States
| | - Ben George
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Clinical and Translational Science Institute of Southeastern Wisconsin, Froedtert Hospital, United States
| | - Bradley H Crotty
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Clinical and Translational Science Institute of Southeastern Wisconsin, United States
| | - Melek Somai
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Clinical and Translational Science Institute of Southeastern Wisconsin, United States
| | - Bradley W Taylor
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Clinical and Translational Science Institute of Southeastern Wisconsin, United States
| | - Kristen Osinski
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Clinical and Translational Science Institute of Southeastern Wisconsin, United States
| | - Jake Luo
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Department of Health Informatics and Administration, United States
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22
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Kinoshita T, Matsumoto T, Taura N, Usui T, Matsuya N, Nishiguchi M, Horita H, Nakao K. Public Interest and Accessibility of Telehealth in Japan: Retrospective Analysis Using Google Trends and National Surveillance. JMIR Form Res 2022; 6:e36525. [PMID: 36103221 PMCID: PMC9520390 DOI: 10.2196/36525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Recently, the use of telehealth for patient treatment under the COVID-19 pandemic has gained interest around the world. As a result, many infodemiology and infoveillance studies using web-based sources such as Google Trends were reported, focusing on the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although public interest in telehealth has increased in many countries during this time, the long-term interest has remained unknown among people living in Japan. Moreover, various mobile telehealth apps have become available for remote areas in the COVID-19 era, but the accessibility of these apps in epidemic versus nonepidemic regions is unknown. Objective We aimed to investigate the public interest in telehealth during the first pandemic wave and after the wave in the first part of this study, and the accessibility of medical institutions using telehealth in the epidemic and nonepidemic regions, in the second part. Methods We examined and compared the first wave and after the wave with regards to severe cases, number of deaths, relative search volume (RSV) of telehealth and COVID-19, and the correlation between RSV and COVID-19 cases, using open sources such as Google Trends and the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (JMHLW) data. The weekly mean and the week-over-week change rates of RSV and COVID-19 cases were used to examine the correlation coefficients. In the second part, the prevalence of COVID-19 cases, severe cases, number of deaths, and the telehealth accessibility rate were compared between epidemic regions and nonepidemic regions, using the JMHLW data. We also examined the regional correlation between telehealth accessibility and the prevalence of COVID-19 cases. Results Among the 83 weeks with 5 pandemic waves, the overall mean for the RSV of telehealth and COVID-19 was 11.3 (95% CI 8.0-14.6) and 30.7 (95% CI 27.2-34.2), respectively. The proportion of severe cases (26.54% vs 18.16%; P<.001), deaths (5.33% vs 0.99%; P<.001), RSV of telehealth (mean 33.1, 95% CI 16.2-50.0 vs mean 7.3, 95% CI 6.7-8.0; P<.001), and RSV of COVID-19 (mean 52.1, 95% CI 38.3-65.9 vs mean 26.3, 95% CI 24.4-29.2; P<.001) was significantly higher in the first wave compared to after the wave. In the correlation analysis, the public interest in telehealth was 0.899 in the first wave and –0.300 overall. In Japan, the accessibility of telehealth using mobile apps was significantly higher in epidemic regions compared to nonepidemic regions in both hospitals (3.8% vs 2.0%; P=.004) and general clinics (5.2% vs 3.1%; P<.001). In the regional correlation analysis, telehealth accessibility using mobile apps was 0.497 in hospitals and 0.629 in general clinics. Conclusions Although there was no long-term correlation between the public interest in telehealth and COVID-19, there was a regional correlation between mobile telehealth app accessibility in Japan, especially for general clinics. We also revealed that epidemic regions had higher mobile telehealth app accessibility. Further studies about the actual use of telehealth and its effect after the COVID-19 pandemic are necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuya Kinoshita
- Department of Medical Informatics, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Takehiro Matsumoto
- Department of Medical Informatics, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
- Department of Medical Informatics, Nagasaki University Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Naota Taura
- Department of Medical Informatics, Nagasaki University Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Usui
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Nemu Matsuya
- Department of Neurology, National Hospital Organization Nagasaki Kawatana Medical Center, Kawatana, Japan
| | - Mayumi Nishiguchi
- Department of Medical Informatics, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Hozumi Horita
- Department of Medical Informatics, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Nakao
- Department of Medical Informatics, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
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23
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TONDO P, SCIOSCIA G, HOXHALLARI A, SABATO R, FOSCHINO BARBARO MP, LACEDONIA D. Knowledge of telemedicine in a sleep clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic by a phone survey. Minerva Med 2022; 113:723-726. [DOI: 10.23736/s0026-4806.22.08135-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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24
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A New Interactive Tool to Visualize and Analyze COVID-19 Data: The PERISCOPE Atlas. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19159136. [PMID: 35897503 PMCID: PMC9330557 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19159136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Since the start of the 21st century, the world has not confronted a more serious threat to global public health than the COVID-19 pandemic. While governments initially took radical actions in response to the pandemic to avoid catastrophic collapse of their health care systems, government policies have also had numerous knock-on socioeconomic, political, behavioral and economic effects. Researchers, thus, have a unique opportunity to forward our collective understanding of the modern world and to respond to the emergency situation in a way that optimizes resources and maximizes results. The PERISCOPE project, funded by the European Commission, brings together a large number of research institutions to collect data and carry out research to understand all the impacts of the pandemic, and create predictive models that can be used to optimize intervention strategies and better face possible future health emergencies. One of the main tangible outcomes of this project is the PERISCOPE Atlas: an interactive tool that allows to visualize and analyze COVID-19-related health, economic and sociopolitical data, featuring a WebGIS and several dashboards. This paper describes the first release of the Atlas, listing the data sources used, the main functionalities and the future development.
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25
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Szigety KM, Crowley TB, Gaiser KB, Chen EY, Priestley JRC, Williams LS, Rangu SA, Wright CM, Adusumalli P, Ahrens-Nicklas RC, Calderon B, Cuddapah SR, Edmondson A, Ficicioglu C, Ganetzky R, Kalish JM, Krantz ID, McDonald-McGinn DM, Medne L, Muraresku C, Pyle LC, Zackai EH, Campbell IM, Sheppard SE. Clinical Effectiveness of Telemedicine-Based Pediatric Genetics Care. Pediatrics 2022; 150:188195. [PMID: 35642503 PMCID: PMC9724118 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2021-054520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Telemedicine may increase access to medical genetics care. However, in the pediatric setting, how telemedicine may affect the diagnostic rate is unknown, partially because of the perceived importance of the dysmorphology physical examination. We studied the clinical effectiveness of telemedicine for patients with suspected or confirmed genetic conditions. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study of outpatient encounters before and after the widespread implementation of telemedicine (N = 5854). Visit types, diagnoses, patient demographic characteristics, and laboratory data were acquired from the electronic health record. Patient satisfaction was assessed through survey responses. New molecular diagnosis was the primary end point. RESULTS Patients seen by telemedicine were more likely to report non-Hispanic White ancestry, prefer to speak English, live in zip codes with higher median incomes, and have commercial insurance (all P < .01). Genetic testing was recommended for more patients evaluated by telemedicine than in person (79.5% vs 70.9%; P < .001). Patients seen in person were more likely to have a sample collected, resulting in similar test completion rates (telemedicine, 51.2%; in person, 55.1%; P = .09). There was no significant difference in molecular diagnosis rate between visit modalities (telemedicine, 13.8%; in person, 12.4%; P = .40). CONCLUSIONS Telemedicine and traditional in-person evaluation resulted in similar molecular diagnosis rates. However, improved methodologies for remote sample collection may be required. This study reveals the feasibility of telemedicine in a large academic medical genetics practice and is applicable to other pediatric specialties with perceived importance of physical examination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine M. Szigety
- Division of Human Genetics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Terrence B. Crowley
- Division of Human Genetics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Kimberly B. Gaiser
- Division of Human Genetics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Erin Y. Chen
- Division of Human Genetics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Jessica R. C. Priestley
- Division of Human Genetics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Lydia S. Williams
- Division of Human Genetics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Sneha A. Rangu
- Division of Human Genetics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Christina M. Wright
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Priyanka Adusumalli
- Division of Human Genetics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | | | - Brandon Calderon
- Division of Human Genetics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Sanmati R. Cuddapah
- Division of Human Genetics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Andrew Edmondson
- Division of Human Genetics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Can Ficicioglu
- Division of Human Genetics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Rebecca Ganetzky
- Division of Human Genetics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Jennifer M. Kalish
- Division of Human Genetics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States,Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Ian D. Krantz
- Division of Human Genetics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Donna M. McDonald-McGinn
- Division of Human Genetics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States,Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Livija Medne
- Division of Human Genetics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Colleen Muraresku
- Division of Human Genetics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Louise C. Pyle
- Division of Human Genetics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Elaine H. Zackai
- Division of Human Genetics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Ian M. Campbell
- Division of Human Genetics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States,Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Sarah E. Sheppard
- Division of Human Genetics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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Iwatsuki K, Hashizume H, Hara Y, Okui N, Morizaki Y, Tada K, Matsui Y, Ishii H, Hirata H. Questionnaire survey about the effects of new lifestyles during the pandemic of COVID-19 on upper limb diseases. J Orthop Sci 2022:S0949-2658(22)00169-5. [PMID: 35803855 PMCID: PMC9236913 DOI: 10.1016/j.jos.2022.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) that emerged in 2019 and spread globally in 2020 has resulted in the imposition of lockdowns or a state of emergency in many cities worldwide. In Japan, a "new lifestyle" is being advocated. We hypothesize that the new lifestyle has changed people's use of their upper limbs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, through this questionnaire study, we aimed to determine the factors associated with exacerbation of symptoms during the pandemic and to investigate the current status of patients who require hand surgery. METHODS This study was a prospective multi-center questionnaire survey. This study was conducted in Japan from December 2020 to July 2021 at university and general hospitals in nine prefectures. A questionnaire was administered to patients who visited a hospital with symptoms of nerve entrapment syndrome, osteoarthritis, or tenosynovitis. RESULTS A total of 502 patients with a mean age of 63.8 years responded. The 240 patients who experienced exacerbation (exacerbated and markedly exacerbated) were compared with other patients (unchanged, improved, and markedly improved). An increase in the time spent on personal computers and smartphones was associated with exacerbation of hand symptoms. Patients who wanted to undergo surgery but were postponed due to COVID-19 accounted for 23.5% of the outpatients. The mean scores for pain, jitteriness, and anxious depression in these patients were significantly higher than those of patients who did not want surgery. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that an increase in the time spent on personal computers and smartphones is associated with exacerbation of hand symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients who wanted to undergo surgery but were postponed by COVID-19 experienced greater pain, jitteriness, and anxious depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katsuyuki Iwatsuki
- Department of Hand Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, 65 Turumaicho Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan,Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kani Tono Hospital, 1211-5 Dota, Kani, Gifu, 509-0206, Japan,Corresponding author. Department of Hand Surgery, Graduate School of medicine, Nagoya University, 65 Turumaicho Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Hashizume
- Director of Kasaoka Daiichi Hospital, 1945 Yokoshima, Kasaoka, Okayama, 714-0043, Japan
| | - Yuki Hara
- Depertment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tennoudai 1-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan
| | - Nobuyuki Okui
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Yokkaichi Municipal Hospital, 2-2-37 Shibata, Yokkaichi, Mie, 510-8567, Japan
| | - Yutaka Morizaki
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The University of Tokyo Hospital, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
| | - Kaoru Tada
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, 920-8641, Japan
| | - Yuichiro Matsui
- Faculty of Dental Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 13, Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-8586, Japan,Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 15, Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-8638, Japan
| | - Hisao Ishii
- Department of Orthopaedics, Hand Center, Chutoen General Medical Center, 1-1 Shobugaike, Kakegawa, Shizuoka, 436-8555, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Hirata
- Department of Hand Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, 65 Turumaicho Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan
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27
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Hesse BW, Aronoff‐Spencer E, Ahern DK, Mullett TW, Gibbons C, Chih M, Hubenko A, Koop B. “Don't drop the patient:” Health information in a postpandemic world. WORLD MEDICAL & HEALTH POLICY 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/wmh3.527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bradford W. Hesse
- National Cancer Institute (Retired) Health Communications and Research Branch Kailua‐Kona Hawaii USA
| | - Eliah Aronoff‐Spencer
- Department of Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego La Jolla California USA
| | - David K. Ahern
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital Boston Massachusetts USA
| | | | - Chris Gibbons
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University Baltimore Maryland USA
| | - Ming‐Yuan Chih
- Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky Lexington Kentucky USA
| | - Alexandra Hubenko
- Department of Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego La Jolla California USA
| | - Barbara Koop
- Philips, Usability – Design Practice and Centre of Excellence Amsterdam Netherlands
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Aoki T, Fujinuma Y, Matsushima M. Patient experience of residents with restricted primary care access during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fam Med Community Health 2022; 10:fmch-2022-001667. [PMID: 35688482 PMCID: PMC9189542 DOI: 10.1136/fmch-2022-001667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To evaluate primary care access for COVID-19 consultation among residents who have a usual source of care (USC) and to examine their associations with patient experience during the pandemic in Japan. DESIGN Nationwide cross-sectional study. SETTING Japanese general adult population. PARTICIPANTS 1004 adult residents who have a USC. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Patient experience assessed by the Japanese version of Primary Care Assessment Tool Short Form (JPCAT-SF). RESULTS A total of 198 (19.7%) reported restricted primary care access for COVID-19 consultation despite having a USC. After adjustment for possible confounders, restricted primary care access for COVID-19 consultation was negatively associated with the JPCAT-SF total score (adjusted mean difference = -8.61, 95% CI -11.11 to -6.10). In addition, restricted primary care access was significantly associated with a decrease in all JPCAT-SF domain scores. CONCLUSIONS Approximately one-fifth of adult residents who had a USC reported restricted primary care access for COVID-19 consultation during the pandemic in Japan. Our study also found that restricted primary care access for COVID-19 consultation was negatively associated with a wide range of patient experience including first contact. Material, financial and educational support to primary care facilities, the spread of telemedicine and the application of a patient registration system might be necessary to improve access to primary care during a pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuya Aoki
- Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Research Center for Medical Sciences, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan,Section of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Community Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yasuki Fujinuma
- Centre for Family Medicine Development, Japanese Health and Welfare Co-operative Federation, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masato Matsushima
- Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Research Center for Medical Sciences, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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The Ecology of Medical Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan: a Nationwide Survey. J Gen Intern Med 2022; 37:1211-1217. [PMID: 35132558 PMCID: PMC8821790 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-022-07422-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a profound impact on health care utilization. However, the overall picture of shifts in health care utilization remains unclear. OBJECTIVE We assessed the ecology of medical care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan and compared it with the results pre-pandemic. We also investigated the associations of sociodemographic and clinical factors with health care utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN AND METHODS We conducted a nationwide cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of the general Japanese adult population in May 2021. The main outcomes were health care utilization for health-related events in the last month. We assessed sociodemographic and clinical factors, including age, sex, years of education, annual household income, social isolation, and the number of chronic conditions. KEY RESULTS Data were analyzed from 1747 respondents. Over-the-counter drug use, physician's office visits, and hospital outpatient clinic visits decreased drastically during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with pre-pandemic levels. The decrease in the use of medical facilities was especially pronounced among the elderly. Sociodemographic and clinical factors were differently associated with health care utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social isolation and years of education were positively associated with over-the-counter drug use, while female sex was associated with increased over-the-counter drug use and physician's office visits. In addition, the number of chronic conditions was associated with increased hospital visits. CONCLUSIONS During the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of medical facilities for health-related events decreased drastically, especially among the elderly. A pharmacy is an important source of health care in a population with social isolation. These findings may be useful to researchers and policymakers in rethinking health care systems during and after the pandemic.
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30
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COVID-19 pandemic decreased the ophthalmic outpatient numbers and altered the diagnosis distribution in a community hospital in Taiwan: An observational study. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0264976. [PMID: 35259188 PMCID: PMC8903288 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on ophthalmic outpatient numbers and ophthalmic diagnosis distribution in a community hospital (Taipei City Hospital Zhongxiao Branch) in Taiwan. The COVID-19 pandemic period in Taiwan was defined as May 1 to July 31, 2021. Demographic data, including age, gender, and top 10 diagnoses from ophthalmic outpatients during this period, were collected. A corresponding control group from the same time in 2020 was also collected. The distribution of different diagnoses was analyzed, and the data of 10 most prominent diagnoses with decreased percentage of case numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic period were obtained. The number of cases during the COVID-19 pandemic decreased by 46.9% compared to the control group. The top three most common diagnoses were dry eye syndrome, glaucoma, and macular diseases. The 10 most prominent diagnoses with decreased number of cases during the COVID-19 pandemic were cataract, refraction & accommodation, macular degeneration, conjunctivitis, retinal detachment, vitreous body disorders, ophthalmic complications of diabetes mellitus, glaucoma, dry eye, and retinal vein occlusion. Identifying and treating these patients as scheduled may yield the highest cost-benefit effect in preventing visual loss during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Abstract
The accelerating integration of telehealth technologies in neurology practice has transformed traditional interactions between neurologists and patients, allied clinicians and society. Despite the immense promise of these technologies to improve systems of neurological care, the infusion of telehealth technologies into neurology practice introduces a host of unique ethical challenges. Proactive consideration of the ethical dimensions of teleneurology and of the impact of these innovations on the field of neurology more generally can help to ensure responsible development and deployment across stages of implementation. Toward these ends, this article explores key ethical dimensions of teleneurology practice and policy, presents a normative framework for their consideration, and calls attention to underexplored questions ripe for further study at this evolving nexus of teleneurology and neuroethics. To promote successful and ethically resilient development of teleneurology across diverse contexts, clinicians, organizational leaders, and information technology specialists should work closely with neuroethicists with the common goal of identifying and rigorously assessing the trajectories and potential limits of teleneurology systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Young
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
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Omboni S, Padwal RS, Alessa T, Benczúr B, Green BB, Hubbard I, Kario K, Khan NA, Konradi A, Logan AG, Lu Y, Mars M, McManus RJ, Melville S, Neumann CL, Parati G, Renna NF, Ryvlin P, Saner H, Schutte AE, Wang J. The worldwide impact of telemedicine during COVID-19: current evidence and recommendations for the future. CONNECTED HEALTH 2022; 1:7-35. [PMID: 35233563 PMCID: PMC7612439 DOI: 10.20517/ch.2021.03] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine has emerged worldwide as an indispensable resource to improve the surveillance of patients, curb the spread of disease, facilitate timely identification and management of ill people, but, most importantly, guarantee the continuity of care of frail patients with multiple chronic diseases. Although during COVID-19 telemedicine has thrived, and its adoption has moved forward in many countries, important gaps still remain. Major issues to be addressed to enable large scale implementation of telemedicine include: (1) establishing adequate policies to legislate telemedicine, license healthcare operators, protect patients' privacy, and implement reimbursement plans; (2) creating and disseminating practical guidelines for the routine clinical use of telemedicine in different contexts; (3) increasing in the level of integration of telemedicine with traditional healthcare services; (4) improving healthcare professionals' and patients' awareness of and willingness to use telemedicine; and (5) overcoming inequalities among countries and population subgroups due to technological, infrastructural, and economic barriers. If all these requirements are met in the near future, remote management of patients will become an indispensable resource for the healthcare systems worldwide and will ultimately improve the management of patients and the quality of care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Omboni
- Clinical Research Unit, Italian Institute of Telemedicine, Solbiate Arno, Varese 21048, Italy
- Department of Cardiology, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Raj S. Padwal
- Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Tourkiah Alessa
- Biomedical Technology Department, College of Applied Medical Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11362, Saudi Arabia
| | - Béla Benczúr
- First Department of Internal Medicine (Cardiology-Nephrology), Balassa Janos County Hospital, Szekszard 7100, Hungary
| | - Beverly B. Green
- Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, WA 98101, USA
| | - Ilona Hubbard
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne 1011, Switzerland
| | - Kazuomi Kario
- Department of Cardiology, Jichi Medical University School of Medicine, Tochigi 329-0498, Japan
| | - Nadia A. Khan
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Alexandra Konradi
- Almazov National Medical Research Centre, Saint Petersburg 197341, Russia
| | - Alexander G. Logan
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A1, Canada
- Sinai Health System, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - Yuan Lu
- Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Yale-New Haven Hospital, Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, CT 06510, USA
| | - Maurice Mars
- Department of TeleHealth, School of Nursing and Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa
- College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia 5042, Australia
| | - Richard J. McManus
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 2JD, UK
| | - Sarah Melville
- Division of Cardiology, Saint John Regional Hospital, Saint John, New Brunswick E2L 4L2, Canada
| | | | - Gianfranco Parati
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano 20126, Italy
- Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS San Luca, Milano 20149, Italy
| | - Nicolas F. Renna
- Unit of Hypertension, Hospital Español de Mendoza, School of Medicine, National University of Cuyo, IMBECU-CONICET, Mendoza 5500, Argentina
| | - Philippe Ryvlin
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne 1011, Switzerland
| | - Hugo Saner
- ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research and Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern 3012, Switzerland
| | - Aletta E. Schutte
- School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney 2042, New South Wales, Australia
- Hypertension in Africa Research Team, South African Medical Research Council Unit for Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
| | - Jiguang Wang
- The Shanghai Institute of Hypertension, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
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Benis A, Banker M, Pinkasovich D, Kirin M, Yoshai BE, Benchoam-Ravid R, Ashkenazi S, Seidmann A. Reasons for Utilizing Telemedicine during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Internet-Based International Study. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10235519. [PMID: 34884221 PMCID: PMC8658517 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10235519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic challenges healthcare services. Concomitantly, this pandemic had a stimulating effect on technological expansions related to telehealth and telemedicine. We sought to elucidate the principal patients' reasons for using telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic and the propensity to use it thereafter. Our primary objective was to identify the reasons of the survey participants' disparate attitudes toward the use of telemedicine. We performed an online, multilingual 30-question survey for 14 days during March-April 2021, focusing on the perception and usage of telemedicine and their intent to use it after the pandemic. We analyzed the data to identify the attributes influencing the intent to use telemedicine and built decision trees to highlight the most important related variables. We examined 473 answers: 272 from Israel, 87 from Uruguay, and 114 worldwide. Most participants were women (64.6%), married (63.8%) with 1-2 children (52.9%), and living in urban areas (84.6%). Only a third of the participants intended to continue using telemedicine after the COVID-19 pandemic. Our main findings are that an expected substitution effect, technical proficiency, reduced queueing times, and peer experience are the four major factors in the overall adoption of telemedicine. Specifically, (1) for most participants, the major factor influencing their telemedicine usage is the implicit expectation that such a visit will be a full substitute for an in-person appointment; (2) another factor affecting telemedicine usage by patients is their overall technical proficiency and comfort level in the use of common web-based tools, such as social media, while seeking relevant medical information; (3) time saving as telemedicine can allow for asynchronous communications, thereby reducing physical travel and queuing times at the clinic; and finally (4) some participants have also indicated that telemedicine seems more attractive to them after watching family and friends (peer experience) use it successfully.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arriel Benis
- Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Technology Management, Holon Institute of Technology, Holon 5810201, Israel; (M.B.); (D.P.); (M.K.); (B.-e.Y.)
- Faculty of Digital Technologies in Medicine, Holon Institute of Technology, Holon 5810201, Israel
- Correspondence:
| | - Maxim Banker
- Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Technology Management, Holon Institute of Technology, Holon 5810201, Israel; (M.B.); (D.P.); (M.K.); (B.-e.Y.)
| | - David Pinkasovich
- Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Technology Management, Holon Institute of Technology, Holon 5810201, Israel; (M.B.); (D.P.); (M.K.); (B.-e.Y.)
| | - Mark Kirin
- Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Technology Management, Holon Institute of Technology, Holon 5810201, Israel; (M.B.); (D.P.); (M.K.); (B.-e.Y.)
| | - Bat-el Yoshai
- Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Technology Management, Holon Institute of Technology, Holon 5810201, Israel; (M.B.); (D.P.); (M.K.); (B.-e.Y.)
| | | | - Shai Ashkenazi
- Adelson School of Medicine, Ariel University, Ariel 4070000, Israel;
| | - Abraham Seidmann
- Department of Information Systems, Questrom Business School, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA;
- Health Analytics and Digital Health, Digital Business Institute, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
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