How telemedicine integrated into China's anti-COVID-19 strategies: case from a National Referral Center

• Main Authors: Li, Peiyi (Author), Liu, Xiaoyu (Author), Mason, Elizabeth (Author), Hu, Guangyu (Author), Zhou, Yongzhao (Author), Li, Weimin (Author), Jalali, Seyed Mohammad Javad (Author)
• Other Authors: Sloan School of Management (Contributor)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMJ, 2020-08-25T14:42:52Z.
• Subjects: Article
• Online Access: Get fulltext

 Introduction: We present the integration of telemedicine into the healthcare system of West China Hospital of Sichuan University (WCH), one of the largest hospitals in the world with 4300 inpatient beds, as a means for maximising the efficiency of healthcare delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: Implemented on 22 January 2020, the telemedicine technology allowed WCH providers to conduct teleconsultations, telerounds, teleradiology and tele-intensive care unit, which in culmination provided screening, triage and treatment for COVID-19 and other illnesses. To encourage its adoption, the government and the hospital publicised the platform on social media and waived fees.Discussion: From 1 February to 1 April 2020, 10557 online COVID-19 consultations were conducted for 6662 individuals; meanwhile, 32676 patients without COVID completed virtual follow-ups. We discuss that high-quality, secure, affordable and user-friendly telemedical platforms should be integrated into global healthcare systems to help decrease the transmission of the virus and protect healthcare providers from infection.