In the current COVID-19 crisis, some scientific literature support the use of telehealth or virtual care, not only to prevent contagious diseases but also to provide access to effective and equitable care.
Virtual care collapses the barriers of time and distance, says executive at Center for Telehealth at Massachusetts General Hospital from the Digital Health perspective of Nature Partner Journal. It provides the care that is patient-centered, lower cost, higher degree of convenience, and greater productivity than traditional methods of delivering care, especially during a pandemic.
The literature points out the scope and scale of innovation of virtual care introduced at Partners Healthcare. Besides, it also provides guidance to other healthcare systems for implementing virtual care tools and addressing challenges to their use during and after COVID-19- pandemic.
Medical Journal describes Scope of Innovation of Virtual Care Model
Meanwhile, it will be important for health systems to reap the benefits of digital innovation for the redesign of inpatient and ambulatory care at present and in the near future, as the transition from clinical phase to recovery phase progresses.
The pivotal innovations in virtual care model for hospitalized patients is described in greater depth in greater depth in the Lancet Digital Health. The description of virtual care model includes virtual rounds and virtual intercom communication system.
Virtual rounds under virtual care model attempts to redesign traditional medical rounds, wherein large number of healthcare workers frequently crowd together around a computer screen or test result to discuss a treatment option.
With virtual rounds apt for so-called medical distancing, one or two healthcare workers are physically present in the hospital ward, whereas most of the multidisciplinary team members join remotely from home or other locations within the hospital.
