Ambulatory Virtual Care During a Pandemic: Patient Safety Considerations.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Public Health
• Telemedicine

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated rapid adoption of telehealth in ambulatory care.
• This shift introduced novel patient safety risks and challenges.
• Traditional in-person visits significantly declined.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate patient experience and satisfaction with virtual care delivery during the pandemic.
• To identify and mitigate patient safety risks associated with increased telehealth utilization.
• To develop strategies for maintaining high-quality virtual care.

Main Methods:

• A multidisciplinary working group was formed at an academic medical center.
• Analyzed patient complaint and satisfaction survey data from over 76,000 virtual encounters.
• Monitored virtual visit volume, which increased 200-fold between February and April 2020.

Main Results:

• Patient satisfaction with telehealth remained high, exceeding 93% from February to May 2020.
• Only 5 patient complaints were filed during the study period.
• Identified quality and safety issues related to patient triage, technology use, platform accessibility, and care coordination.

Conclusions:

• Ambulatory virtual care necessitates a flexible, dynamic model.
• Continuous, rapid-cycle process improvement is crucial for mitigating risks.
• Incorporating both provider and patient perspectives is essential for effective pandemic-era virtual care.