As cases of COVID-19 continue to rise across the U.S., hospitals and health systems are facing a slew of potential issues from facility overcrowding to increased spread of infection.
Telemedicine usage in response to the coronavirus pandemic has spiked. In New York, the hardest hit state in the country, telemedicine services have seen a 312 percent increase in demand from patients, according to CNBC News. Telehealth requests have also skyrocketed at large health systems including the Cleveland Clinic, Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
Here are four fast telemedicine actions hospitals can take now to solve some of the issues presented by COVID-19, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
1. Use a telemedicine system to triage individuals who want to be tested for COVID-19 to help prevent overcrowding at testing sites.
2. Limit hospital infections by preventing walk-ins at emergency departments. Emergencies including heart attacks or strokes can get immediate permission for ED room access from a remote medical provider by implementing 20-minute COVID-19 tests in ambulances.
3. Use telemedicine technology to connect with patients who have mild cases of the coronavirus so they can recover outside hospitals and clinics.
4. Set up high-risk patients for remote treatment as soon as possible so individuals in nursing homes and assisted care facilities can receive ongoing medical attention remotely.