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A Phone Call Away: New York's Hotline And Public Health In The Rapidly Changing COVID-19 Pandemic

Ross Kristal1, Madden Rowell2, Marielle Kress3

  • 1Ross Kristal (kristalr@nychhc.org) is co-medical director in the New York City Health + Hospitals Contact Center, Office of Ambulatory Care, NYC Health + Hospitals, in New York, New York.

Health Affairs (Project Hope)
|June 12, 2020
PubMed

Insights

A COVID-19 hotline in New York City provided vital clinical assessment and connected over 90,000 callers to services, easing emergency medical system strain during the pandemic.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Health Policy

Background:

  • The COVID-19 outbreak in NYC in March 2020 severely strained emergency medical services.
  • Public health policy and clinical guidance rapidly evolved in response to the crisis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the establishment and function of a clinician-staffed COVID-19 hotline in New York City.
  • To assess the hotline's role in managing public health needs and alleviating emergency service pressures.

Main Methods:

  • A clinician-staffed hotline was established by NYC Health + Hospitals for all residents.
  • The hotline operated through three distinct phases aligned with the evolving crisis.
  • Data collected included call volume, clinician staffing, and services provided.

Main Results:

  • As of May 1, 2020, the hotline received over 90,000 calls.
  • More than 1,000 unique clinicians staffed the hotline.
  • Services included clinical assessment, home monitoring registration, social service connection, and COVID-19 information.

Conclusions:

  • The hotline successfully connected New Yorkers to clinicians, reducing the burden on emergency medical services.
  • Future efforts should prioritize accessible clinician hotlines for disadvantaged communities during health crises.
  • Evaluating the impact of such hotlines on clinical outcomes is recommended.

Keywords:
Ambulatory careCOVID-19Clinician hotlineDiseasesEmergency departmentsEmergency medical servicesHealth care providersHealth policyNursesPandemicsPatient testingPublic HealthTechnologycoronavirushospitals

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