889. Impact of an Infectious Disease Telehealth (IDt) Service on S. aureus Bacteremia (SAB) Outcomes in 15 Small Community Hospitals

Abstract

BackgroundInfectious diseases (ID) consultation improves SAB readmission rates, compliance with care bundles and mortality. Small community hospitals (SCHs) (which comprise 70% of US hospitals) often lack access to on-site ID physicians. IDt is one way to overcome this barrier, but it is unknown if IDt provides similar clinical benefits to traditional ID consultation. Our study aims to evaluate the impact of IDt on patient outcomes at 15 SCHs (bed range: 16–146) within the Intermountain Healthcare system in Utah.MethodsBaseline demographics, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), hospital length of stay (LOS), and mortality (in-hospital, 30- and 90-day) were collected using an electronic health record database and health department vital records on all patients with a positive S. aureus blood culture from January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2018. Data from January 2014 through Sep 2016 were excluded to avoid potential influence of a concurrent antimicrobial stewardship study. Starting in October 2016 an IDt program (staffed by an ID physician and pharmacist) provided consultation for SCH providers and patients using electronic consultation and encrypted two-way audiovisual communication.Statistical analyses were performed using Fisher’s exact test or χ 2 test for categorical variables and Mann–Whitney U test for nonparametric continuous data.ResultsIn total, 625 patients with SAB were identified: 127 (20%) received IDt and 498 (80%) did not (non-IDt). The two groups (IDt vs. non-IDt) were similar in median age (66 vs. 62 years; P = 0.76), percent male (62% vs. 58%; P = 0.35), and median baseline CCI (4 vs. 4; P = 0.54). There were no statistically significant differences in median LOS (5 vs. 5 days; P = 0.93) or in-hospital mortality (2% in both groups). The IDt group had a lower 30-day (9% vs. 15%; P = 0.049) and 90-day mortality (13% vs. 21%; P = 0.034).ConclusionIDt consultation was associated with a decrease in 30- and 90-day mortality for SCH SAB cases. Early transfer of critically ill patients might have affected LOS and in-hospital mortality. Post-discharge care factors might also contribute to 30- and 90-day mortality. While more work is needed to identify other factors associated with the effect of IDt on SAB, these data support the use of IDt to increase access to care and improve SAB outcomes in SCHs.Disclosures All Authors: No reported Disclosures.