The Internet Hospital Plus Drug Delivery Platform for Health Management During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: Widespread access to the internet has boosted the emergence of online hospitals. A new outpatient service called "internet hospital plus drug delivery" (IHDD) has been developed in China, but little is known about this platform. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to investigate the characteristics, acceptance, and initial impact of IHDD during the outbreak of COVID-19 in a tertiary hospital in South China. METHODS: The total number of and detailed information on online prescriptions during the first 2 months after work resumption were obtained. Patients' gender, age, residence, associated prescription department, time of prescription, payment, and drug delivery region were included in the analysis. RESULTS: A total of 1380 prescriptions were picked up or delivered between March 2 and April 20, 2020. The largest group of patients were 36-59 years old (n=680, 49.3%), followed by the 18-35 years age category (n=573, 41.5%). In total, 39.4% (n=544) of the patients chose to get their medicine by self-pickup, while 60.6% (n=836) preferred to receive their medicine via drug delivery service. The top five online prescription departments were infectious diseases (n=572, 41.4%), nephrology (n=264, 19.1%), endocrinology (n=145, 10.5%), angiocardiopathy (n=107, 7.8%), and neurology (n=42, 3%). Of the 836 delivered prescriptions, 440 (52.6%) were sent to Guangdong Province (including 363 [43.4%] to Shenzhen), and 396 (47.4%) were sent to other provinces in China. CONCLUSIONS: The IHDD platform is efficient and convenient for various types of patients during the COVID-19 crisis. Although offline visits are essential for patients with severe conditions, IHDD can help to relieve pressure on hospitals by reducing an influx of patients with mild symptoms. Further efforts need to be made to improve the quality and acceptance of IHDD, as well as to regulate and standardize the management of this novel service.

Low Vertebrobasilar Velocity Is Associated with a Higher Risk of Posterior Circulation Ischemic Lesions.

Background: Transcranial color-coded sonography (TCCS) is used as a real-time tool to evaluate patients suspected of having vertebrobasilar insufficiency (VBI). However, the sonographic criteria for VBI remain inconclusive. The purpose of this study was to analyze the velocity in the vertebrobasilar system, which links the risk for posterior circulation infarction (POCI) and total ischemic stroke (TIS) in patients with VBI. Methods: Patients' data were retrospectively reviewed if they were suspected of having VBI within a 2-year period. Baseline characteristics, brain images, and a series of sonography data were recorded and analyzed. We compared vertebrobasilar (VB) velocities in different age groups and in patients with infarctions. Results: A total of 875 patients were enrolled, with 112 and 427 candidates in the POCI and TIS groups, respectively. The mean velocity (MV)s of BA and bilateral VAs were all negatively correlated with age (all p < 0.001). The adjusted odds ratio was 2.55 (1.58−4.13, p < 0.001) in POCI and 1.75 (1.15−2.67, p = 0.009) in TIS if the mean velocity of the VB arteries was below 15 cm/s. Conclusions: Low VB velocity detected in TCCS was more commonly associated with ageing-related changes and a higher risk of both POCI and TIS. Recognition and aggressive treatment for these patients are necessary.