Utility of telemedicine for providing Obstetrics and Gynecology services during the COVID-19 pandemic—A single center experience from a tertiary care teaching hospital located in South India

Author:

Sharmila Vijayan1,Yedla Deepthi1,Babu Thirunavukkarasu Arun2,Tripathi Mukesh3,Kalidoss Vinoth K.4

Affiliation:

1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Mangalagiri, Andhra Pradesh, India

2. Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Mangalagiri, Andhra Pradesh, India

3. Director and CEO, Department of Anesthesia, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Mangalagiri, Andhra Pradesh, India

4. Department of Community and Family Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Mangalagiri, Andhra Pradesh, India

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic greatly impeded the provision of public healthcare within a healthcare system that was already under considerable strain. Routine patient care services were impacted during that time, leading to the promotion of telemedicine as a means of maintaining uninterrupted healthcare services. Telemedicine involves the utilization of electronic technology and communication to provide health-related information and medical care to individuals who are physically separated from healthcare professionals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To assess the feasibility of utilizing telemedicine for providing women's health services, we conducted a six-month analysis of data collected from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology's teleconsultation application at AIIMS, Mangalagiri. Our objective was to evaluate the practicality of telemedicine in delivering diverse healthcare services to women. Our institution offered two types of telehealth services: a “call-based”approach and an “app-based”approach. We examined several parameters within the data, including the distribution of ages, the geographic locations of teleconsultation registrations, whether the registrations were new or follow-up cases, the various presenting complaints, the recommended treatments, the number of consultations (single or multiple), and whether cases required in-person or hospital visits. Additionally, we also compared patient responses between these two modalities. RESULTS: The “call-based”consultation method was preferred by the majority of our patients (94%). The registered cases included both related to obstetrics and gynecology, with a higher proportion of complaints relating to gynecological issues (82.5%). We were able to make a diagnosis in 77% of cases, while in 20% of cases, additional physical examinations and diagnostic tests were necessary. Follow-up appointments were recommended for 53% of patients. The success rate of consultations for patients seeking obstetrics and gynecology services showed a statistically significant difference (P value < 0.001). The vast majority of patients (99%) expressed high satisfaction with the consultation process. CONCLUSION: During the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine proved to be an effective approach in mitigating the overcrowding of hospitals and preventing the spread of infection. Its success suggests that telemedicine can be a viable option for managing elective gynecology matters and low-risk obstetric cases in the future, thereby alleviating the strain on healthcare systems.

Publisher

Medknow

Subject

Education,Medicine (miscellaneous)

Reference14 articles.

1. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic

2. Optimizing telemedicine for providing obstetric and reproductive health care services during COVID-19 pandemic;Sharmila;Int J Community Med Public Health,2020

3. Challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of gynecological cancers during the COVID-19 pandemic;Sharmila;Cancer Res Stat Treat,2020

4. COVID-19 pandemic: Another nail in the coffin of the “dying art” of the physical examination;Babu;Cancer Res Stat Treat,2020

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