Enhancing Consultation Efficiency Through Medical Informatics: A Scalable Field Clinic Model for the Pandemic...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Medical Informatics
• Epidemiology

Background:

• A high-volume field clinic was established in Taiwan during the COVID-19 pandemic to manage mild cases and alleviate hospital strain.
• A tailored medical informatics system was developed and implemented to optimize workflow and ensure timely patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a new medical informatics system on consultation volume, physician workload, and operational efficiency in a COVID-19 field clinic.
• To assess the system's effect on the timely initiation of antiviral therapy for high-risk patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective observational study of 8287 patients from May 20 to June 4, 2022.
• Comparison of patient care data before and after the informatics system implementation on May 28.
• Analysis of primary outcomes: consultation volume, physician workload distribution, and peak-hour operational efficiency.

Main Results:

• Consultation volume during peak hours increased by 43.5% post-implementation (p=0.001).
• Average consultations per physician rose by 83% during peak hours (p=0.003), indicating improved workload equity.
• Trends suggested enhanced identification of high-risk patients and accelerated antiviral prescription.

Conclusions:

• The medical informatics system significantly improved consultation efficiency and workload distribution in the field clinic.
• The study presents a scalable model for digitally enhanced, rapid-response outpatient care applicable to public health emergencies.