COVID-19 and telehealth in the intensive care unit setting: a survey

Abstract

Background Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has led to changes in how healthcare is delivered. Here, through the administration of surveys, we evaluated telehealth use and views in US intensive care units (ICUs) during the pandemic. Methods From June 2020 to July 2021, voluntary, electronic surveys were provided to ICU leaders of Johns Hopkins Medical Institution (JHMI) hospitals, members of the Neurocritical Care Society (NCS) who practice in the US, and Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) members practicing adult medicine. Results Response rates to our survey were as follows: 18 of 22 (81.8%) JHMI-based ICU leaders, 22 of 2218 (1.0%) NCS members practicing in the US, and 136 of 13,047 (1.0%) SCCM members. COVID-19 patients were among those cared for in the ICUs of 77.7, 86.4, and 93.4% of respondents, respectively, in April 2020 (defined as the peak of the pandemic). Telehealth technologies were used by 88.9, 77.3, and 75.6% of respondents, respectively, following the start of COVID-19 while only 22.2, 31.8, and 43.7% utilized them prior. The most common telehealth technologies were virtual meeting software and telephone (with no video component). Provider, nurse, and patient communications with the patient’s family constituted the most frequent types of interactions utilizing telehealth. Most common reasons for telehealth use included providing an update on a patient’s condition and conducting a goals of care discussion. 93.8–100.0% of respondents found telehealth technologies valuable in managing patients. Technical issues were noted by 66.7, 50.0, and 63.4% of respondents, respectively. Conclusions Telehealth use increased greatly among respondents following the start of COVID-19. In US ICUs, telehealth technologies found diverse uses during the pandemic. Future studies are needed to confirm our findings.

Emergency nurses' perceptions of the changes in the quality of death and distress during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan: A cross-sectional study

“…This implies that the emergency nurses strive to maintain communication with families, even in the difficult context of a pandemic, using various communication methods to build trust with the families. During the COVID-19 pandemic, online telecommunication technologies were used for communication between healthcare providers, mainly emergency nurses, and the families of the patients (Nelson et al, 2022). Using such technologies has been reported to help care for the patients during the pandemic (Ersek et al, 2021).…”

Healthcare professional and manager perceptions on drivers, benefits, and challenges of telemedicine: results from a cross-sectional survey in the Italian NHS

“…Empirical studies, opinion pieces, and evidence synthesis were included in the analysis, with a particular focus on studies describing the use of telemedicine during the Covid-19 pandemic. Literature findings and available telemedicine surveys (e.g., [ 54 ], [ 61 ]) were exploited for progressively devising the questionnaire. The questions were designed to obtain two complementary perspectives on the use of telemedicine: drivers and benefits/challenges.…”

“…These changes in the regulatory landscape have been accompanied by technological advancements, a greater offer of telemedicine solutions and a profound shift in people’s attitudes towards online interactions [ 54 ]. As a result, many activities that were previously conducted face-to-face are now conducted remotely, and people’s skills and confidence in using remote communication tools are significantly improved [ 55 ].…”

Aktuelles aus der Kommunikation in der Intensivmedizin

“…Neben dem Austausch zwischen dem Patienten/der Patientin und deren Zugehörigen wurden diese virtuellen Plattformen auch genutzt, um Zugehörige durch Mitglieder des Behandlungsteams über den aktuellen Zustand des Patienten oder der Patientin zu informieren sowie dazu, Gespräche über Versorgungs-und Therapieziele zu führen oder um Einwilligungen in Behandlungsmaßnahmen einzuholen [5].…”