Examining perceptions of a telemedicine network for pediatric emergency medicine: a mixed-methods pilot study

Frontiers in Digital Health

Digital Health

Christopher Sulowski¹  Madan Roy²  Madelyn P. Law³  Lidia A. Mateus³  Alexander Pace³  Asif Raza Khowaja³  Elaina Orlando⁴ 

[1] Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, McMaster Children's Hospital, Hamilton, ON, Canada;Department of Pediatrics, Niagara Health, St. Catharines, ON, Canada;Department of Pediatrics, McMaster Children's Hospital, Hamilton, ON, Canada;Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada;Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada;Research Department, Niagara Health, St. Catharines, ON, Canada;

关键词: telemedicine;    tele-resuscitation;    pediatrics;    critical care;    emergency medicine;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fdgth.2023.1181059

 received in 2023-03-07, accepted in 2023-05-10,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundUse of telemedicine for healthcare delivery in the emergency department can increase access to specialized care for pediatric patients without direct access to a children's hospital. Currently, telemedicine is underused in this setting.ObjectivesThis pilot research project aimed to evaluate the perceived effectiveness of a telemedicine program in delivering care to critically ill pediatric patients in the emergency department by exploring the experiences of parents/caregivers and physicians.MethodsSequential explanatory mixed methods were employed, in which quantitative methods of inquiry were followed by qualitative methods. Data were collected through a post-used survey for physicians, followed by semi-structured interviews with physicians and parents/guardians of children treated through the program. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the survey data. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyze interview data.ResultsThe findings describe positive perceptions of telemedicine for emergency department pediatric care, as well as barriers and facilitators to its use. The research also discusses implications for practice and recommendations for overcoming barriers and supporting facilitators when implementing telemedicine programming.ConclusionThe findings suggest that a telemedicine program has utility and acceptance among parents/caregivers and physicians for the treatment of critically ill pediatric patients in the emergency department. Benefits recognized and valued by both parents/caregivers and physicians include rapid connection to sub-specialized care and enhanced communication between remote and local physicians. Sample size and response rate are key limitations of the study.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
© 2023 Mateus, Law, Khowaja, Orlando, Pace, Roy and Sulowski.