Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 17, 2025
Setting Up a Stroke Team Algorithm and Conducting Simulation-based Training in the Emergency Department - A Practical Guide
Published on: January 15, 2017
Testing Pediatric Emergency Telemedicine Implementation Strategies Using Quality Improvement Methods
Jennifer L Rosenthal1, Hadley S Sauers-Ford1, Moina Snyder2
1Department of Pediatrics, University of California at Davis, Sacramento, California, USA.
Insights
Quality improvement methods successfully increased telemedicine use for pediatric emergency consultations from 5% to 22%. This approach effectively tested implementation strategies without increasing consultation times.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Emergency Medicine
- Health Services Research
- Telemedicine Implementation
Background:
- Telemedicine offers benefits for pediatric emergency consultations but faces adoption barriers.
- Quality improvement (QI) methods can accelerate testing of implementation strategies.
- Previous efforts showed limited telemedicine uptake in pediatric transfers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test telemedicine implementation strategies for pediatric emergency consultations using QI methods.
- To achieve high rates of telemedicine utilization for pediatric transfer consultations.
- To identify key drivers for increasing telemedicine adoption.
Main Methods:
- A multidisciplinary, multisite team utilized plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles.
- Interventions included training, data dissemination, reminders, and workflow preparation.
- Outcome measure: percentage of telemedicine consultations; balancing measure: time to consultation completion.
Main Results:
- QI methods demonstrated special cause variation, leading to an increase in mean telemedicine use from 5% to 22%.
- Key drivers identified: resource awareness, streamlined workflow, provider buy-in, and data transparency.
- Consultation completion time remained unchanged, indicating no negative impact on efficiency.
Conclusions:
- Quality improvement methods are effective for testing and implementing telemedicine strategies in pediatric emergency settings.
- Targeted interventions can overcome barriers to telemedicine adoption.
- QI provides a framework for rapid iteration and optimization of telemedicine services.
Abstract:
Despite the recognized benefits of telemedicine use for pediatric emergency consultations, there are barriers to the widespread uptake of this technology. Quality improvement methods can be used to rapidly test implementation strategies. Our objective was to test telemedicine implementation strategies in real-world application using quality improvement methods. Our quality improvement aim was to achieve high rates of telemedicine use for pediatric transfer consultations. A multidisciplinary multisite improvement team identified that key drivers of increasing telemedicine use included telemedicine resource awareness, streamlined telemedicine workflow, provider buy-in, and data transparency. Interventions focused on telemedicine trainings, disseminating telemedicine uptake data, telemedicine reminders, telemedicine test calls, and preparing for telemedicine use for every transfer consultation. The outcome measure was percentage of pediatric emergency transfer consultations that used telemedicine. The balancing measure was time (minutes) from the initial transfer center call to completion of the consultation. Multiple plan-do-study-act cycles were associated with special cause variation, with an upward shift in mean percentage of telemedicine use from 5% to 22%. Time from initial call to consultation completion remained unchanged. Our study supports the use of quality improvement methods to test telemedicine implementation strategies for pediatric telemedicine emergency consultations.
More Related Videos
05:56Implementation of Non-invasive Point of Care Transient Elastography for Evaluation of Liver Disease in Pediatric Populations with Cystic Fibrosis
Published on: August 29, 2025
06:28E-Patient Counseling Trial E-PACO: Computer Based Education versus Nurse Counseling for Patients to Prepare for Colonoscopy
Published on: August 1, 2019
Related Concept Videos
01:30Health Information Technology and Healthcare Information System
Health Information Technology, commonly called HIT, integrates advanced information systems and technology in healthcare settings. Its primary functions include:
01:22Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures
The best practices for preventing healthcare-associated infections include hand hygiene, patient risk...
01:29Issues And Trends In Healthcare Delivery System
Cost Containment
Payment for healthcare services has historically promoted adoption of costly and often unnecessary or inefficient...
01:26Methods Of Healthcare Delivery System
Managed Care System:
The managed care system is designed to control the cost while maintaining the quality of care. The patient's care from admission to discharge is planned by the primary care provider or the case manager, also known as the gatekeeper. In a managed care system, the number of care providers is...
01:15Methods of Documentation VI: Case Management Model
For example, a patient with a chronic...
01:26Principles of Disease Surveillance