An internet-based multidisciplinary online medical consultation system to help cope with pediatric medical needs
Yihui Zhai1,2, Xiaoling Ge2, Xiaoxiong Liu2
1Department of Nephrology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Insights
The rapid implementation of telemedicine in pediatrics during COVID-19 provided crucial support for children's healthcare needs. This online consultation system effectively supplemented traditional services when hospital visits were limited.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Medicine
- Digital Health
- Public Health
Background:
- Telemedicine emerged as a vital supplement to traditional healthcare in China.
- The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak necessitated rapid adaptation of medical services.
- Pediatric telemedicine was rapidly implemented to address healthcare demands during the epidemic.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the swift implementation of pediatric telemedicine during the COVID-19 outbreak.
- To explore the value and impact of telemedicine in meeting pediatric medical service demands during the epidemic.
Main Methods:
- An internet-based platform for multidisciplinary online medical consultation was established.
- Data from traditional hospital visits and online visits were collected and analyzed over two months.
- Demographic features, disease spectrum changes, and online service characteristics were examined.
Main Results:
- Total visits decreased by 75.3% compared to the previous year, with a >95% drop in infectious disease cases.
- Online visits constituted 14.7% of all visits, reaching 91% of China's administrative regions.
- 266 experts completed 12,318 consultations, addressing accessibility and illness-related queries, with 96% of chronic kidney disease patients receiving successful follow-up guidance.
Conclusions:
- COVID-19 significantly impacted traditional hospital medical services.
- A multidisciplinary online medical consultation system proved effective in responding to pediatric medical needs during the unique period.
- Telemedicine offers a viable strategy for maintaining pediatric care continuity during public health crises.
Background:
Telemedicine is becoming an emerging innovative supplement to the traditional medical system in China. In the present study, we described the rapid implementation of the telemedicine in pediatrics during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak and explored its value in response to the demand for pediatric medical services during the epidemic.
Methods:
An Internet-based platform for multidisciplinary online medical consultation was established on February 8, 2020, by a national children's medical center in China. The medical data of the traditional hospital visits and novel online visits from the first two months (February 8 to March 31) after the establishment of the platform were collected and analyzed. The demographic features, changes in the disease spectrum and characteristics of online medical services were described.
Results:
The total number of visits was significantly lower (by 75.3%) than that of in the same period in the previous year. The disease spectrum was different with a significant decrease of >95% in the number of patients with infectious or contagious diseases. The online visits accounted for 14.7% of all visits. Online patients came from all over the country, covering 91% of the administrative regions of China, and the largest proportion of inquiries were for infants (33.7%) (P<0.01). The response rate of experts to requests for online consultations was 100%. During the study period, 266 experts from 25 pediatric specialties completed 12,318 effective consultations, proving different degrees of online supplementation for various specialties (4.3-168.4%). Online consultations mainly addressed two types of problems: (I) accessibility of the traditional hospital visits and (II) consultations regarding an illness. Data from pediatric nephrology showed that 96% of the patients with stable chronic kidney disease successfully received follow-up medication adjustment guidance through the online platform.
Conclusions:
The traditional hospital medical services have been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. The multidisciplinary online medical consultation system is a strategy to actively respond to the medical needs of children during unique periods.
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