Telemedicine in the emergency department in the era of COVID-19: front-line experiences from 2 institutions

Joel M Hamm; Chris Greene; Mike Sweeney; Setareh Mohammadie; Linda B Thompson; Eric Wallace; Walter Schrading

doi:10.1002/emp2.12204

Telemedicine in the emergency department in the era of COVID-19: front-line experiences from 2 institutions

J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open. 2020 Jul 28;1(6):1630-1636. doi: 10.1002/emp2.12204. eCollection 2020 Dec.

Authors

Joel M Hamm¹, Chris Greene², Mike Sweeney¹, Setareh Mohammadie¹, Linda B Thompson², Eric Wallace², Walter Schrading²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Emergency Medicine University of Kentucky Lexington Kentucky USA.
² Department of Emergency Medicine University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham Alabama USA.

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the major changes that has occurred in emergency medicine is the evolution of telemedicine. With relaxation of regulatory and administrative barriers, the use of this already available technology has rapidly expanded. Telemedicine provides opportunity to markedly decrease personal protective equipment (PPE) and reduce healthcare worker exposures. Moreover, with the convenience and availability of access to medical care via telemedicine, a more fundamental change in healthcare delivery in the United States is likely. The implementation of telemedicine in the emergency department (ED) in particular has great potential to prevent the iatrogenic spread of COVID-19 and protect health care workers. Challenges to widespread adoption of telemedicine include privacy concerns, limitation of physical examination, and concerns of patient experience. In this clinical review, we discuss ED telemedicine applications, logistics, and challenges in the COVID-19 era as well as recent regulatory and legal changes. In addition, examples of telemedicine use are described from 2 institutions. Examples of future applications of telemedicine within the realm of emergency medicine are also discussed.

Keywords: COVID‐19; emergency department; emergency medicine; healthcare worker; personal protective equipment; telecommunication; telehealth; telemedicine.