Development of a Telemedicine Screening Program During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Informatics
• Epidemiology

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated rapid adoption of telemedicine to ensure patient and provider safety.
• Augusta University (AU) implemented a telemedicine platform for COVID-19 screening due to initial testing limitations and broad service area.
• Screening guidelines were established based on CDC and Georgia Department of Public Health recommendations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess adherence to established telemedicine screening guidelines for COVID-19.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a free virtual care program for pandemic-related health screening.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 13,600 encounters from the AU Health Express Care virtual care program (March 22 - May 21, 2020).
• Inclusion criteria: All encounters intended for free COVID-19 screening, available 24/7.
• Data collected on provider adherence to screening guidelines and patient outcomes.

Main Results:

• Overall guideline adherence was 71% for adults and 57% for pediatric patients.
• When guidelines were not followed, providers were more likely to indicate a positive screen (72% vs. 52% by guidelines).
• Provider specialty significantly impacted adherence (p=0.002), with psychiatry, neurology, and ophthalmology showing highest adherence.

Conclusions:

• The study demonstrated the feasibility of a free telemedicine screening platform during a public health crisis.
• The program successfully reached populations facing financial barriers to healthcare access.
• Effective early training and accumulated experience with telemedicine were crucial for guideline adherence.