Efficacy of Telemedicine Utilization for Cardiac outpatients’ care during the pandemic of COVID 19, A large center experience in the wave of the pandemic. (Preprint)

Abstract

Synchronous telemedicine using teleconferencing may play a role in clinical care. In a tertiary care center, video conferencing enhanced virtual clinics were established via a new application platform. They were introduced during COVID19 pandemic to connect patients to trained health care providers via a secured line. While maintaining patients’ privacy, they were theorized to offer effective communications and continuous clinical care.

In this cross-sectional cohort study, we ought to examine the impact of service and the assistance they may offer to cardiac patients in the outpatient setup.

A prospective cohort study looking at all video-conferencing virtual clinics’ visits during the pandemic with primary focus on cardiac out-patient clinic, addressing primary endpoints of need for admission or emergency visits from cardiac demises during the pandemics and secondary endpoint of patient satisfaction based on patients’ experiences.

A total of 6000 live care video-based chats were made over 10 months period from March 10th, 2020, to January 30th, 2021, among which 277 patients were evaluated in the virtual cardiac clinic, of these 193 (69.7%) were males, with mean age of 48±15. 60 (22.3%) patients were requested to present to clinic for further evaluation and testing, 20 (7.2%) patients were asked to visit the emergency room of whom 8 (2.8%) patients were hospitalized. All 8 were admitted for high-risk findings that require immediate medical attention, 4/8 underwent cardiac catheterization, mean duration of admission was 2±1 days. When compared to regular walk-in care, there was a statistical difference in admission rate and emergency visits (p=0.001) and (p=0.0001) respectively, both were statistically higher in the virtual clinic. The satisfaction rate in 5- scale-grading system, was 97% of 4 and above recommending the continuation of the service beyond pandemic time.

Video-enhanced virtual cardiology clinic works safely and efficiently during COVID-19 pandemic with a difference in admission rate and ER visits when compared to walk in clinic. It can be used during non-pandemic time to reduce load on hospital and clinic crowdedness. It also decreases the chances of COVID19 transmission indirectly by re-enforcing physical distance.

Locally registered in Dr. Sulaiman Alhabib Medical Group.