Teletriage Pilot Study (Strategy for Unscheduled Teleconsultations): Results, Patient Acceptance and Satisfaction.

FRID, SANTIAGO.; RATTI, MARÍA FLORENCIA GRANDE; PEDRETTI, ANA; VALINOTI, MARINA; MARTINEZ, BERNARDO.; SOMMER, JANINE; LUNA, DANIEL R.; PLAZZOTTA, FERNANDO

Congreso; MIE2020 - European Federation of Medical Informatics.; 2020

Non-urgent consultations to an Emergency Department (ED) contribute to overcrowding. Telecommunications represent a potential strategy to reduce some face-to-face consultations.Objectives: To describe characteristics of patients who used the Teletriage Program during the pilot study, to explore safety and to report user acceptance and satisfaction.Methods: Cross-sectional study, including all adult patients affiliated to our health insurance attended to via this telemedicine service between January 18th and May 31st, 2019 (during pilot-study). Patients were followed-up for seven days to assess re-consultation to ED or unscheduled hospitalization.Results: 276 effective consultations occurred, corresponding to 241 patients, with a mean of age of 50 years, 68% (189) were women. Chief complaints were related to clinical issues (70%) and remaining (30%) were administrative problems. Only four patients were suggested a referral or face-to-face assessment. Rate of re-consultation to the ED was 18% (51) at seven days of follow-up, and the rate of unscheduled hospitalization was