A Pediatric Telemedicine Response to a Natural Disaster

Area of Science:

• Pediatric telemedicine
• Disaster response
• Public health

Background:

• Hurricane Irma impacted Florida in September 2017.
• Pediatric direct-to-consumer telemedicine platforms have not been studied during all disaster phases.
• Nemours CareConnect (NCC) provided services during the hurricane.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the use of a pediatric telemedicine platform during Hurricane Irma.
• To evaluate patient satisfaction and chief complaints during the disaster.
• To understand telemedicine utilization patterns in disaster management.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of NCC audio-visual telemedicine encounters from September 8-16, 2017.
• Data collected included visit volume, wait times, encounter length, chief complaints, and patient satisfaction.
• The study was IRB-approved.

Main Results:

• 262 completed telemedicine visits were recorded.
• Average wait time was 12.23 minutes; average encounter length was 10.12 minutes.
• Most visits occurred before and after the storm; common complaints included respiratory and skin issues. Patient satisfaction was high.

Conclusions:

• NCC provided accessible and efficient pediatric care during Hurricane Irma.
• Telemedicine utilization patterns varied across disaster phases, offering insights for other providers.
• Further research is needed to integrate telemedicine into disaster preparedness plans.