Pulmonary Calling: The Rise of Pulmonary Telemedicine During the
COVID-19 Pandemic
Abstract
Objective The Division of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine
at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia rapidly implemented pulmonary
telemedicine visits during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
pandemic. The feasibility, utility, and favorability of telemedicine
visits for a wide range of pediatric pulmonary conditions were assessed.
Methods Providers were sent a survey on May 8, 2020 to
assess attitudes, perspectives, and favorability of pulmonary
telemedicine visits based on their composite experiences since the
conversion to telemedicine visits on March 24, 2020. A similar survey
was sent to all patients who completed a pulmonary telemedicine visit
from May 17, 2020 through June 12, 2020. Patient and provider survey
responses about pulmonary telemedicine utility, benefits, limitations,
and overall experience were analyzed. Results Overall,
patients and providers expressed a high degree of satisfaction with the
telemedicine experience, with 92% of patients and 72% of providers
rating their telemedicine experience as excellent or very good. Both
patients and providers were most interested in using telemedicine for
regular follow-up visits and for sooner appointments. More than 70% of
patients and 90% of providers indicated telemedicine was more
convenient for patients compared to in-person clinic visits. All
providers and 85% of patients who responded indicated interest in
continuing telemedicine in the future. Conclusions This
study demonstrates that telemedicine is a feasible and favorable method
of healthcare delivery of pulmonary medicine for the full spectrum of
conditions treated by pediatric pulmonary and sleep medicine
specialists. This has important implications for the use of telemedicine
during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.