Physician Experiences With Implementing a Virtual Observation Unit in Emergency Medicine

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Health Services Research
• Telehealth Innovation

Background:

• New care models, such as virtual observation units (VOUs), are emerging in emergency departments (EDs).
• VOUs utilize telehealth, remote monitoring, and mobile integrated health for home-based ED-level care.
• Understanding physician experiences is crucial for evaluating these novel care delivery systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore emergency physicians' experiences with a newly launched virtual observation unit.
• To assess the perceived effects of this home-based, ED-level care model on physicians and patient care.

Main Methods:

• Semistructured in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 emergency physicians.
• Thematic analysis was employed to identify key themes in physician experiences.
• The study was conducted in an academic hospital setting with a newly implemented VOU.

Main Results:

• Physicians reported forming deeper patient connections due to increased time and home environment care.
• An increased appreciation for interprofessional and interspecialty collaboration was noted.
• Surmountable challenges included technology management and patient selection, but overall experiences positively impacted patient-physician interactions and job satisfaction.

Conclusions:

• Emergency physicians experienced largely positive outcomes staffing the virtual observation unit.
• The VOU model demonstrated benefits for physician well-being and fostered interprofessional care.
• Policymakers and administrators should consider these benefits when funding telehealth and innovative care models.