Virtual Pediatric Emergency Department Telehealth Network Program: A Case Series

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Telehealth
• Rural Health

Background:

• Rural pediatric patients face significant barriers to accessing emergency medical care.
• Limited research exists on the application of telemedicine in general pediatric emergency medicine (PEM).

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the establishment and 6-year experience (2013-2018) of the Child Ready Virtual Pediatric Emergency Department Telehealth Network (CR-VPED).
• To evaluate the feasibility of providing general PEM consultations via telemedicine in underserved rural areas.

Main Methods:

• Established the CR-VPED Telehealth Network, a PEM telemedicine consultation service.
• Reviewed 58 telemedicine consultations from June 2013 to September 2018.
• Focused on patient demographics, chief complaints, transfer status, referring provider types, and encountered technical issues.

Main Results:

• Conducted 58 PEM telemedicine consultations across 6 rural sites, with 71% at Indian Health Service facilities.
• Patients ranged from 30 days to 17 years old; only 26% required transfer to a tertiary hospital.
• Rash was the most common chief complaint (24%), and family medicine physicians were the most frequent referring providers (31%).
• Common technical issues included electronic medical record documentation (12%) and login difficulties (9%).

Conclusions:

• Telemedicine is a feasible solution for delivering general pediatric emergency care to rural, underserved populations.
• The CR-Vped network successfully provided consultations for a diverse group of pediatric patients with varied presentations.
• This model enhances access to specialized pediatric emergency care in remote areas, addressing critical healthcare disparities.