Wilmington, Del.-based ChristianaCare developed a new virtual telehealth service that offers daily monitoring of employees for COVID-19 symptoms and testing for employers and businesses.
As of June 8, 12 employers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Louisiana and Arizona are using the employee COVID-19 symptom monitoring and testing program. The companies range in services from healthcare facilities to nursing homes and construction to transportation, representing nearly 5,000 employees total.
Through the telehealth program, each participating employee receives a text message in English or Spanish at the start of the workday. Employees are sent a few screening questions related to COVID-19 symptoms, and if employees indicate they have no symptoms, they receive an "all clear" text that deems them safe to go to work. If an employee indicates they have developed symptoms, they receive a text message that says "not cleared" and are instructed not to report to work.
A registered nurse from ChristianaCare's virtual care management texting program CareVio will connect with the employee to further evaluate their symptoms. If the nurse identifies positive COVID-19 symptoms, employers are encouraged to see a provider through the health system's telehealth program, which can order a COVID-19 test if necessary.