A Retrospective Cohort Study to Assess the Impact of an Inpatient Infectious Disease Telemedicine Consultation Service on Hospital and Patient Outcomes.

摘要: Background Here, we review our experience of providing inpatient infectious disease (ID) consultations using real-time interactive telemedicine assessments. We sought to obtain a baseline and document trends regarding the use ID (teleID) consults as an adjunct standard care through time period in which teleID were introduced. Methods Data pulled via manual, retrospective chart reviews electronic medical record. Primary outcomes included lengths stay (LOS), antibiotic usage, relapse incidences. Results There total 244 patients at 1 remote hospital site who provided with consultations, either person, teleID, or both. Before availability (pre-teleID), there 73 transferred for consults, while 171 seen once available. While all pre-teleID group from hub hospital, only 14 (8.2%) assessed by transferred. Patient LOS across both facilities decreased when compared (P = .0001). The median number days that received antibiotics (median 15, interquartile range [IQR] 9-25), 19, IQR 11-28), but this decrease was not statistically significant .0770). no difference rates, although data lacking because being lost follow-up. Conclusions practice directed inpatients appears be promising route care.