Background COVID-19 challenges and needs required health systems to rapidly redesign the delivery of care. Objective To describe our approach in using health information technology to provide a continuum of services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods Our health system deployed four COVID-19 telehealth programs, and four biomedical informatics innovations to screen and care for COVID-19 patients. Using programmatic and electronic health record data we describe the implementation and initial utilization. Results Through collaboration across multi-disciplinary teams and strategic planning, four telehealth program initiatives have been deployed in response to COVID-19: virtual urgent care screening, remote patient monitoring for COVID-19 positive patients, continuous virtual monitoring to reduce workforce risk and utilization of personal protective equipment, and the transition of outpatient care to telehealth. Biomedical Informatics was integral to our institutional response in supporting clinical care through new and reconfigured technologies. Through linking the telehealth systems and the electronic health record, we have the ability to monitor and track patients through a continuum of COVID-19 services. Discussion COVID-19 has facilitated the rapid expansion and utilization of telehealth and health informatics services. We anticipate that patients and providers will view enhanced telehealth services as an essential aspect of the healthcare system. Continuation of telehealth payment models at federal and private levels will be a key factor in whether this new uptake is sustained. Conclusion There are substantial benefits in utilizing telehealth during the COVID-19, including the ability to rapidly scale the number of patients being screened and providing continuity of care.

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Background: With the removal of many barriers to direct-to-consumer telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in a historic surge in the adoption of telehealth into ongoing practice, health systems must now identify the most efficient and effective way to sustain these visits. The Medical University of South Carolina Center for Telehealth developed a Telehealth Centralized Support team as part of a strategy to mature the support infrastructure for the continued large-scale use of outpatient virtual care. The team was deployed as the Center for Telehealth rolled out a new ambulatory telehealth software platform to monitor clinical activity, support patient registration and virtual rooming, and ensure successful visit completion. Methods: A multi-method, program-evaluation approach was used to describe the development and composition of the Telehealth Centralized Support Team in its first 18 months utilizing the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance framework. Results: In the first 18 months of the Telehealth Centralized Support team, over 75,000 visits were scheduled, with over 1500 providers serving over 46,000 unique patients. The team was successfully deployed over a large part of the clinical enterprise and has been well received across the health system. It has proven to be a scalable model to support enterprise-level virtual health care delivery. Conclusions: While further research is needed to evaluate the long-term program outcomes, the results of its early implementation suggest great promise for improved telehealth patient and provider satisfaction, the more equitable delivery of virtual services, and more cost-effective means for supporting virtual care.