Tele-medicine, tele-rounds, and tele-intensive care unit in the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a worldwide health crisis, laying stress on existing health-care systems and causing an unprecedented financial crisis. In this situation, provision of homogenized, evidence-based care by all levels of health-care providers, including those in a low-resource setting, is of paramount importance. As a specialized offshoot of Tele-medicine, Tele-intensive care unit (Tele-ICU) offers an innovative solution in the care of critically ill COVID-19 patients, by off-site clinicians, using audio, video, electronic, and tele-communication links to leverage technical, informational, and clinical resources. Tele-ICU also helps overcome the shortage of expertise like intensivists in these settings and helps to take the clinical expert to the patient bedside by remote monitoring and supervision. Telemedicine applications can be classified into four basic types, according to the mode of communication, timing of the information transmitted, the purpose of the consultation, and the interaction between the individuals involved-be it doctor-to patient/caregiver or doctor to doctor. The benefits and concerns of tele-medicine have been described in detail.