Abstract
In response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, all in-person cystic fibrosis (CF) appointments were converted to telemedicine visits at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital. The purpose of our study was to learn about the experiences that patients, families, and providers had with telemedicine visits and to assess their interest in using telemedicine in the future. Our hypothesis was that most patients, families, and providers want to continue telemedicine visits in the future. An anonymous 11-question survey was distributed to patients, families, and providers in November and December 2020. The survey was completed by 46 of 72 families (64% response rate) and 24 of 25 providers (96% response rate). Thirty-seven families (80%) and 21 providers (88%) were satisfied with their telemedicine experience. Thirty-three families (72%) want to have telemedicine visits in the future. Thirty-five families (76%) and 22 providers (92%) were satisfied with their experience using Zoom. Forty families (87%) and 19 providers (90%) want 2 or more visits each year to be via telemedicine. Our study showed that most families and providers were satisfied with telemedicine, would like to continue using telemedicine, and prefer to have at least 2 of the 4 recommended annual CF visits via telemedicine. Our survey identified the following benefits to telemedicine: decreased travel time, decreased cost, and avoiding exposure to COVID. However, we need to ensure that we do not exacerbate existing health disparities for families that do not speak English and/or do not have the internet capabilities to support telemedicine technology.
Highlights
On March 11, 2020 the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization
Of our 72 cystic fibrosis (CF) patients followed in our center, only 4 patients (6%) were seen in-person and only 4 patients (6%) had audio-only telemedicine visits between March 2020 and January 2021
Our results demonstrate that 80% of our patients and 88% of our providers were satisfied with their telemedicine visits
Summary
On March 11, 2020 the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. The United States declared COVID-19 a national emergency. UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland and San Francisco converted all in-person Cystic Fibrosis (CF) appointments to telemedicine visits via Zoom, a secure web-based platform that provides video and telephone services. The first telemedicine CF visit was conducted on March 27, 2020. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine was generally thought of as a way to increase access to subspecialty care in rural and/or underserved areas. A prior study by Kane and Gillis found that only 15.4% of physicians worked in a practice that utilized telemedicine to interact with patients [1]. The percentage was even lower: only 11.8% of pediatric physicians
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
