Expanding Access to Fetal Telecardiology During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Schwartz, Bryanna; Klein, Jennifer; Barbosa, Megan B; Hamersley, Sheri L.; Hickey, Kimberly W.; Ahmadzia, Homa K.; Broth, Richard; Pinckert, Thomas L.; Sable, Craig; Donofrio, Mary T.; Krishnan, Anita

doi:10.1089/tmj.2020.0508

Cited by 10 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Some centers increasingly use telemedicine services, reportedly without compromising diagnostic accuracy. However, a strong infrastructure for implementation is required [ 25 , 26 ]. Once the pandemic has passed, usage of this technology may even remain attractive for both parents and medical staff.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fetal Cardiac Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic: How Does It Affect Parental Counseling?

Kovacevic

Bär

Starystach

et al. 2021

JCM

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The COVID-19 pandemic impacts health care providers in multiple ways, even specialties that do not seem to be affected primarily, such as fetal cardiac services. We aimed to assess the effects on parental counseling for fetal congenital heart disease (CHD). In this multicenter study, we used a validated questionnaire. Parents were recruited from four national tertiary medical care centers (n = 226); n = 169 had been counseled before and n = 57 during the pandemic. Overall counseling success including its dimensions did not differ between the two groups (p = n.s.). However, by applying the sorrow scale, we could demonstrate that parents counseled during the pandemic were significantly more concerned (p = 0.025) and unsure (p = 0.044) about their child’s diagnosis, therapy and outcome. Furthermore, parents expressed a significantly increased need for written and/or online information on fetal heart disease (p = 0.034). Other modifiers did not affect counseling success (p = n.s.). We demonstrate that the COVID-19 pandemic impacts effectiveness of parental counseling for fetal CHD, possibly by altering parental perceptions. This needs to be taken into consideration when counseling. Implementing alternative and innovative approaches (e.g., online conference or virtual reality tools) may aid in facilitating high-quality services in critical times such as in the present pandemic.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fetal Cardiac Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic: How Does It Affect Parental Counseling?

Kovacevic

Bär

Starystach

et al. 2021

JCM

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show abstract

“…Therefore, high medical standards and a wealth of experience are of particular importance. Especially in smaller hospitals, in rural areas, or during the COVID-19 pandemic, bottlenecks in care can be compensated for by specialized physicians via telemedicine consultations or using artificial intelligence approaches [ 133 , 134 ]. Although the transmission of auscultation findings characterized the initial phase of digital cardiology, telemedicine specialist–guided ultrasound examinations dominate the field today [ 132 , 135 , 136 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Digital Transformation in the Diagnostics and Therapy of Cardiovascular Diseases: Comprehensive Literature Review

Stremmel¹,

Breitschwerdt²

2023

JMIR Cardio

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Background The digital transformation of our health care system has experienced a clear shift in the last few years due to political, medical, and technical innovations and reorganization. In particular, the cardiovascular field has undergone a significant change, with new broad perspectives in terms of optimized treatment strategies for patients nowadays. Objective After a short historical introduction, this comprehensive literature review aimed to provide a detailed overview of the scientific evidence regarding digitalization in the diagnostics and therapy of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Methods We performed an extensive literature search of the PubMed database and included all related articles that were published as of March 2022. Of the 3021 studies identified, 1639 (54.25%) studies were selected for a structured analysis and presentation (original articles: n=1273, 77.67%; reviews or comments: n=366, 22.33%). In addition to studies on CVDs in general, 829 studies could be assigned to a specific CVD with a diagnostic and therapeutic approach. For data presentation, all 829 publications were grouped into 6 categories of CVDs. Results Evidence-based innovations in the cardiovascular field cover a wide medical spectrum, starting from the diagnosis of congenital heart diseases or arrhythmias and overoptimized workflows in the emergency care setting of acute myocardial infarction to telemedical care for patients having chronic diseases such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or hypertension. The use of smartphones and wearables as well as the integration of artificial intelligence provides important tools for location-independent medical care and the prevention of adverse events. Conclusions Digital transformation has opened up multiple new perspectives in the cardiovascular field, with rapidly expanding scientific evidence. Beyond important improvements in terms of patient care, these innovations are also capable of reducing costs for our health care system. In the next few years, digital transformation will continue to revolutionize the field of cardiovascular medicine and broaden our medical and scientific horizons.

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“…15,16 This technology has also useful in heavy imaging disciplines such as fetal cardiology. 17 Finally, the financial impact of COVID-19 was significant with roughly half of participants reporting concerns related to personal finances or practice viability and job losses at their respective institutions and practices. These findings parallel a recent AAP survey of paediatric practices which showed substantial shifts from in office encounters to telemedicine with 70% reduction in preventive care visits and 83% reduction in sick visits.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adaptations of paediatric cardiology practice during the COVID-19 pandemic

et al. 2021

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During the initial surge of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring and summer of 2020, pediatric heart centers were forced to rapidly alter the way patient care was provided to minimize interruption to patient care as well as exposure to the virus. In this survey based descriptive study we characterize changes that occurred within pediatric cardiology practices across the United States and describe provider experience and attitudes towards these changes during the pandemic. Common changes that were implemented included decreased numbers of procedures, limiting visitors, and shifting towards telemedicine encounters. The information obtained from this survey may be useful in guiding and standardizing responses to future public health crises.

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Expanding Access to Fetal Telecardiology During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Cited by 10 publications

References 12 publications

Fetal Cardiac Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic: How Does It Affect Parental Counseling?

Fetal Cardiac Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic: How Does It Affect Parental Counseling?

Digital Transformation in the Diagnostics and Therapy of Cardiovascular Diseases: Comprehensive Literature Review

Adaptations of paediatric cardiology practice during the COVID-19 pandemic

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