Sociodemographic disparities in the use of cardiovascular ambulatory care and telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated adoption of telemedicine in cardiology clinics. Early in the pandemic, there were sociodemographic disparities in telemedicine use. It is unknown if these disparities persisted and whether they were associated with changes in the population of patients accessing care. METHODS: We examined all adult cardiology visits at an academic and an affiliated community practice in Northern California from March 2019 to February 2020 (pre-COVID) and March 2020 to February 2021 (COVID). We compared patient sociodemographic characteristics between these periods. We used logistic regression to assess the association of patient/visit characteristics with visit modality (in-person vs telemedicine and video- vs phone-based telemedicine) during the COVID period. RESULTS: There were 54,948 pre-COVID and 58,940 COVID visits. Telemedicine use increased from <1% to 70.7% of visits (49.7% video, 21.0% phone) during the COVID period. Patient sociodemographic characteristics were similar during both periods. In adjusted analyses, visits for patients from some sociodemographic groups were less likely to be delivered by telemedicine, and when delivered by telemedicine, were less likely to be delivered by video versus phone. The observed disparities in the use of video-based telemedicine were greatest for patients aged ≥80 years (vs age <60, OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.21, 0.28), Black patients (vs non-Hispanic White, OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.56, 0.74), patients with limited English proficiency (vs English proficient, OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.46-0.59), and those on Medicaid (vs privately insured, OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.41-0.54). CONCLUSIONS: During the first year of the pandemic, the sociodemographic characteristics of patients receiving cardiovascular care remained stable, but the modality of care diverged across groups. There were differences in the use of telemedicine vs in-person care and most notably in the use of video- vs phone-based telemedicine. Future studies should examine barriers and outcomes in digital healthcare access across diverse patient groups.

Population-level management of type 1 diabetes via continuous glucose monitoring and algorithm-enabled patient prioritization: Precision health meets population health.

OBJECTIVE: To develop and scale algorithm-enabled patient prioritization to improve population-level management of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in a pediatric clinic with fixed resources, using telemedicine and remote monitoring of patients via continuous glucose monitor (CGM) data review. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We adapted consensus glucose targets for T1D patients using CGM to identify interpretable clinical criteria to prioritize patients for weekly provider review. The criteria were constructed to manage the number of patients reviewed weekly and identify patients who most needed provider contact. We developed an interactive dashboard to display CGM data relevant for the patients prioritized for review. RESULTS: The introduction of the new criteria and interactive dashboard was associated with a 60% reduction in the mean time spent by diabetes team members who remotely and asynchronously reviewed patient data and contacted patients, from 3.2 ± 0.20 to 1.3 ± 0.24 min per patient per week. Given fixed resources for review, this corresponded to an estimated 147% increase in weekly clinic capacity. Patients who qualified for and received remote review (n = 58) have associated 8.8 percentage points (pp) (95% CI = 0.6-16.9 pp) greater time-in-range (70-180 mg/dl) glucoses compared to 25 control patients who did not qualify at 12 months after T1D onset. CONCLUSIONS: An algorithm-enabled prioritization of T1D patients with CGM for asynchronous remote review reduced provider time spent per patient and was associated with improved time-in-range.

Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Patient Volumes, Acuity, and Outcomes in Pediatric Emergency Departments: A Nationwide Study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to quantify the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on pediatric emergency department (ED) utilization and outcomes. METHODS: This study is an interrupted-time-series observational study of children presenting to 11 Canadian tertiary-care pediatric EDs. Data were grouped into weeks in 3 study periods: prepandemic (January 1, 2018-January 27, 2020), peripandemic (January 28, 2020-March 10, 2020), and early pandemic (March 11, 2020-April 30, 2020). These periods were compared with the same time intervals in the 2 preceding calendar years. Primary outcomes were number of ED visits per week. The secondary outcomes were triage acuity, hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, mortality, length of hospital stay, ED revisits, and visits for trauma and mental health concerns. RESULTS: There were 577,807 ED visits (median age, 4.5 years; 52.9% male). Relative to the prepandemic period, there was a reduction [-58%; 95% confidence interval (CI), -63% to -51%] in the number of ED visits during the early-pandemic period, with concomitant higher acuity. There was a concurrent increase in the proportion of ward [odds ratio (OR), 1.39; 95% CI, 1.32-1.45] and intensive care unit (OR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.01-1.42) admissions, and trauma-related ED visits among children less than 10 years (OR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.45-1.56). Mental health-related visits in children declined in the early-pandemic period (in <10 years, -60%; 95% CI, -67% to -51%; in children ≥10 years: -56%; 95% CI, -63% to -47%) relative to the pre-COVID-19 period. There were no differences in mortality or length of stay; however, ED revisits within 72 hours were reduced during the early-pandemic period (percent change: -55%; 95% CI, -61% to -49%; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: After the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic, dramatic reductions in pediatric ED visits occurred across Canada. Children seeking ED care were sicker, and there was an increase in trauma-related visits among children more than 10 years of age, whereas mental health visits declined during the early-pandemic period. When faced with a future pandemic, public health officials must consider the impact of the illness and the measures implemented on children's health and acute care needs.

Management and outcomes of paediatric ileocolic intussusception at a paediatric tertiary care hospital: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Rapid reduction of ileocolic intussusception is important to minimize the compromise in blood flow to the affected bowel segment. This study aimed to quantify the potentially modifiable time between diagnosis and initiation of pneumatic reduction, identify factors associated with delays, and characterize the outcomes of pneumatic reduction in a recent cohort. METHODS: This retrospective observational study occurred at a tertiary care paediatric hospital with a consecutive sample of all children with ileocolic intussusception September 2015 through September 2018. The primary outcome was the time between ultrasound diagnosis of intussusception and the beginning of pneumatic reduction. Independent variables were age of the patient, time of day of arrival, transfer from another facility, and intravenous access prior to ultrasound. Outcomes of pneumatic reduction were expressed as proportions. RESULTS: There were 103 cases of ileocolic intussusception (among 257,282 visits) during the study period. The median time between diagnostic confirmation and initiation of reduction was 36 minutes. This was shorter for transferred patients and children with intravenous access prior to ultrasound. One perforation was identified at the beginning of reduction, without hemodynamic instability. Six children (5.8%) underwent either open (n=4) or laparoscopic surgery (n=2) for reduction failure. CONCLUSION: The median delay between diagnosis and initiation of reduction at this paediatric hospital was short, especially among patients transferred with a suspicion of intussusception and children with intravenous access prior to diagnosis. Complications from pneumatic reduction were infrequent.

Telehealth for Indigenous Children Worldwide: A Scoping Review.

PURPOSE: Indigenous children worldwide face healthcare disparities due, in part, to resource scarcity in remote settings which may be mitigated with technology. This study aims to determine the use of telehealth for this population, with respect to feasibility, acceptability, and the degree of patient/family involvement in reported interventions. We focused on the use of telehealth to support perioperative care. METHODS: To identify relevant studies, five databases were searched to find articles that focused on the role of telehealth in caring for Indigenous populations worldwide, with an emphasis on the pediatric population. Studies that lacked insight into those themes, as well as protocols and review articles, were excluded. Analysis was done according to the non-adoption, abandonment, scale-up, spread, and sustainability (NASSS) framework, the Montreal Model (patient involvement), and the theoretical framework of acceptability (TFA). RESULTS: Of the 1690 articles screened, 34 met the eligibility criteria. The most frequent uses of telehealth for Indigenous children were in ENT and psychiatry. Most of those had a low degree of complexity across the NASSS framework domains, suggesting greater feasibility. In 13 articles, the patient involvement was limited to information (lowest level of involvement in the Montreal Model). Only 11 articles directly assessed patient/family-perceived acceptability. Finally, two articles addressed telehealth in the surgical context. CONCLUSIONS: The relative simplicity of the proposed telehealth applications may support their sustained impact and use in other settings such as for perioperative care. Early and longitudinal involvement of communities is essential for responsible telehealth development that addresses local needs. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V.

Teenager Perspectives on COVID Alert, a Digital Exposure Notification App in Canada.

PURPOSE: COVID Alert is an exposure notification app deployed in Canada to help limit the spread of COVID-19. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional survey conducted in Québec, Canada. The questionnaire was codesigned with patients and members of the public. It assessed the perspectives of teenagers aged 15-17 years old. RESULTS: Among 237 respondents, 27% had downloaded the COVID Alert app. Friends and relatives constituted the largest influence for app download. The most frequently reported concerns included threats to privacy, confidentiality, cybersecurity, and geolocalization. Among nonusers, having more social contacts and evidence demonstrating effectiveness would have motivated app download. Individual factors associated with download included high concern about the pandemic and high self-perceived app knowledge. DISCUSSION: Future digital health interventions should engage teenagers in developing tools that promote social acceptance and responsible use in this group.

Exploring the digital divide: results of a survey informing mobile application development.

Introduction: Mobile health apps risk widening health disparities if they overlook digital inclusion. The digital divide, encompassing access, familiarity, and readiness, poses a significant barrier to medical interventions. Existing literature lacks exploration of the digital divide's contributing factors. Hence, data are needed to comprehend the challenges in developing inclusive health apps. Methods: We created a survey to gauge internet and smartphone access, smartphone familiarity, and readiness for using mobile health apps among caregivers of pediatric patients in tertiary care. Open-ended questions solicited feedback and suggestions on mobile health applications. Responses were categorized by similarity and compared. Developed with patient partners, the survey underwent cognitive testing and piloting for accuracy. Results: Data from 209 respondents showed that 23% were affected by the digital divide, mainly due to unfamiliarity with digital skills. Among 49 short text responses about health app concerns, 31 mentioned security and confidentiality, with 7 mentioning the impersonal nature of such apps. Desired features included messaging healthcare providers, scheduling, task reminders, and simplicity. Conclusions: This study underscores a digital divide among caregivers of pediatric patients, with nearly a quarter affected primarily due to a lack of digital comfort. Respondents emphasized user-friendliness and online security for health apps. Future apps should prioritize digital inclusion by addressing the significant barriers and carefully considering patient and family concerns.

Adapting and Evaluating an AI-Based Chatbot Through Patient and Stakeholder Engagement to Provide Information for Different Health Conditions: Master Protocol for an Adaptive Platform Trial (the MARVIN Chatbots Study).

BACKGROUND: Artificial intelligence (AI)-based chatbots could help address some of the challenges patients face in acquiring information essential to their self-health management, including unreliable sources and overburdened health care professionals. Research to ensure the proper design, implementation, and uptake of chatbots is imperative. Inclusive digital health research and responsible AI integration into health care require active and sustained patient and stakeholder engagement, yet corresponding activities and guidance are limited for this purpose. OBJECTIVE: In response, this manuscript presents a master protocol for the development, testing, and implementation of a chatbot family in partnership with stakeholders. This protocol aims to help efficiently translate an initial chatbot intervention (MARVIN) to multiple health domains and populations. METHODS: The MARVIN chatbots study has an adaptive platform trial design consisting of multiple parallel individual chatbot substudies with four common objectives: (1) co-construct a tailored AI chatbot for a specific health care setting, (2) assess its usability with a small sample of participants, (3) measure implementation outcomes (usability, acceptability, appropriateness, adoption, and fidelity) within a large sample, and (4) evaluate the impact of patient and stakeholder partnerships on chatbot development. For objective 1, a needs assessment will be conducted within the setting, involving four 2-hour focus groups with 5 participants each. Then, a co-construction design committee will be formed with patient partners, health care professionals, and researchers who will participate in 6 workshops for chatbot development, testing, and improvement. For objective 2, a total of 30 participants will interact with the prototype for 3 weeks and assess its usability through a survey and 3 focus groups. Positive usability outcomes will lead to the initiation of objective 3, whereby the public will be able to access the chatbot for a 12-month real-world implementation study using web-based questionnaires to measure usability, acceptability, and appropriateness for 150 participants and meta-use data to inform adoption and fidelity. After each objective, for objective 4, focus groups will be conducted with the design committee to better understand their perspectives on the engagement process. RESULTS: From July 2022 to October 2023, this master protocol led to four substudies conducted at the McGill University Health Centre or the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (both in Montreal, Quebec, Canada): (1) MARVIN for HIV (large-scale implementation expected in mid-2024), (2) MARVIN-Pharma for community pharmacists providing HIV care (usability study planned for mid-2024), (3) MARVINA for breast cancer, and (4) MARVIN-CHAMP for pediatric infectious conditions (both in preparation, with development to begin in early 2024). CONCLUSIONS: This master protocol offers an approach to chatbot development in partnership with patients and health care professionals that includes a comprehensive assessment of implementation outcomes. It also contributes to best practice recommendations for patient and stakeholder engagement in digital health research. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05789901; https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05789901. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/54668.

The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on pediatric asthma-related emergency department visits and hospital admissions in Montréal, Quebec: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition that affects 10% of Canadian children and is often exacerbated by viral respiratory infections, prompting concerns about the severity of SARS-CoV-2 disease in children with asthma. We compared sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of children presenting to the emergency department and the incidence of these visits, before and during the pandemic. METHODS: We included children aged 0 to 17 years presenting with asthma to 2 tertiary pediatric emergency departments in Montréal, Quebec, between the prepandemic (Jan. 1, 2017, to Mar. 31, 2020) and pandemic (Apr. 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021) periods. We compared the number of emergency department visits and hospital admissions with an interrupted time series analysis and compared the sociodemographic characteristics based on the Canadian Index of Multiple Deprivation (CIMD) and clinical characteristics (including triage level, intensive care admissions, etc.) with Mann-Whitney and χ2 tests. RESULTS: We examined 22 746 asthma-related emergency department visits. During the pandemic, a greater proportion of patients presented a triage level 1 or 2 (19.3% v. 14.7%) and were admitted to the intensive care unit (2.5% v. 1.3%). The patients' CIMD quintile distributions did not differ between the 2 periods. We found a 47% decrease (relative risk [RR] 0.53, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.37 to 0.76) in emergency department visits and a 49% decrease (RR 0.51, 95% CI 0.34 to 0.76) in hospital admissions during the pandemic. INTERPRETATION: The decrease in asthma-related emergency department visits was observed through the third wave of the pandemic, but children presented with a higher acuity and with no identified sociodemographic changes. Future studies are required to understand individual behaviours that may have led to the increased acuity at presentation observed in this study.

A rapid review for developing a co-design framework for a pediatric surgical communication application.

BACKGROUND: The exponential growth in the use of mobile health (mHealth) applications in patient care has highlighted the importance of understanding end-users' needs for successful interventions, achievable through the process of co-design. This review aims to summarize previously published uses of co-design in mHealth applications. It will inform the development of a local mHealth tool in pediatric surgery. METHODS: The rapid review was conducted following Cochrane Rapid Review guidelines. We searched four databases from inception until August 2021 for collaborative design in mHealth apps. Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts using Rayyan, with a third reviewer resolving any conflicts. Studies were excluded if they were non-empirical or in other languages than English. RESULTS: Out of 984 records screened, 175 were included for full-text screening, and 27 met all eligibility criteria. The purpose of the studies related to care support, communication, self-management or information management. All interventions involved their target audience in the co-design process, and 85% included healthcare professionals for expert opinion. Stakeholder participation was solicited via interviews, surveys, focus groups, design sessions, and prototype evaluation. To initiate the process, 15 studies included needs identification, 8 did background research, and 7 performed literature reviews. CONCLUSION: Co-design has a positive impact on mHealth development, research processes and outcomes. Its success relies on a clearly identified framework of terminology, activities involved, and evaluation techniques. The findings of this review will be integrated into a novel co-design framework, which will be used to inform the development of a pediatric surgery mHealth application. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: This review uses manuscripts that are rated level III-V.

Use of machine learning in pediatric surgical clinical prediction tools: A systematic review.

PURPOSE: Clinical prediction tools (CPTs) are decision-making instruments utilizing patient data to predict specific clinical outcomes, risk-stratify patients, or suggest personalized diagnostic or therapeutic options. Recent advancements in artificial intelligence have resulted in a proliferation of CPTs created using machine learning (ML)-yet the clinical applicability of ML-based CPTs and their validation in clinical settings remain unclear. This systematic review aims to compare the validity and clinical efficacy of ML-based to traditional CPTs in pediatric surgery. METHODS: Nine databases were searched from 2000 until July 9, 2021 to retrieve articles reporting on CPTs and ML for pediatric surgical conditions. PRISMA standards were followed, and screening was performed by two independent reviewers in Rayyan, with a third reviewer resolving conflicts. Risk of bias was assessed using the PROBAST. RESULTS: Out of 8300 studies, 48 met the inclusion criteria. The most represented surgical specialties were pediatric general (14), neurosurgery (13) and cardiac surgery (12). Prognostic (26) CPTs were the most represented type of surgical pediatric CPTs followed by diagnostic (10), interventional (9), and risk stratifying (2). One study included a CPT for diagnostic, interventional and prognostic purposes. 81% of studies compared their CPT to ML-based CPTs, statistical CPTs, or the unaided clinician, but lacked external validation and/or evidence of clinical implementation. CONCLUSIONS: While most studies claim significant potential improvements by incorporating ML-based CPTs in pediatric surgical decision-making, both external validation and clinical application remains limited. Further studies must focus on validating existing instruments or developing validated tools, and incorporating them in the clinical workflow. TYPE OF STUDY: Systematic Review LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

Assessing the perioperative timeline and incidence of postoperative complications to optimize care for pediatric surgery patients from Northern Quebec.

BACKGROUND: Patients from remote communities often require relocation to urban centres to receive surgical care. This study examines the timeline of care for pediatric surgical patients presenting to the Montreal Children's Hospital from two remote communities in Quebec serving largely Indigenous populations. It aims to identify factors contributing to length of stay, including the incidence of post-operative complications and risk factors for complications. METHODOLOGY: This was a single-center retrospective study of children from Nunavik and Terres-Cries-de-la-Baie-James who underwent general or thoracic surgery between 2011 and 2020. Patient characteristics, including risk factors for complications, and any postoperative complications were summarized descriptively. The timeline of the patient's stay from consultation to post-operative follow-up was determined through chart review, identifying the dates and modality of post-operative follow up. RESULTS: There were 271 eligible cases, including 213 urgent (79.8%) and 54 elective (20.2%) procedures. In total, four patients (1.5%) experienced a postoperative complication at follow-up. All complications occurred among patients who underwent urgent surgery. Three complications (75%) were surgical site infections, managed conservatively. Among patients who underwent elective surgery, 20% waited over 5 days prior to operation The average length of time between discharge and follow-up was one week, regardless of surgical urgency. This was the main contributor to the total time in Montreal. CONCLUSION: Postoperative complications identified at one-week follow-up were rare and only seen following urgent surgery, suggesting that telemedicine can safely replace many in-person post-surgical follow up visits. In addition, there is room to improve wait times for those from remote communities by prioritizing displaced patients where possible.

Assessing the potential for virtualizable care in the pediatric emergency department.

INTRODUCTION: There is increasing interest for patient-to-provider telemedicine in pediatric acute care. The suitability of telemedicine (virtualizability) for visits in this setting has not been formally assessed. We estimated the proportion of in-person pediatric emergency department (PED) visits that were potentially virtualizable, and identified factors associated with virtualizable care. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of in-person visits at the PED of a Canadian tertiary pediatric hospital (02/2018-12/2019). Three definitions of virtualizable care were developed: (1) a definition based on "resource use" classifying visits as virtualizable if they resulted in a home discharge, no diagnostic testing, and no return visit within 72 h; (2) a "diagnostic definition" based on primary ED diagnosis; and (3) a stringent "combined definition" by which visits were classified as virtualizable if they met both the resource use and diagnostic definitions. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with telemedicine suitability. RESULTS: There were 130,535 eligible visits from 80,727 individual patients during the study period. Using the most stringent combined definition of telemedicine suitability, 37.9% (95% confidence interval (CI) 37.6%-38.2%) of in-person visits were virtualizable. Overnight visits (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.16-1.37), non-Canadian citizenship (aOR 1.10-1.18), ethnocultural vulnerability (aOR 1.14-1.22), and a consultation for head trauma (aOR 3.50-4.60) were associated with higher telemedicine suitability across definitions. DISCUSSION: There is a high potential for patient-to-provider telemedicine in the PED setting. Local patient and visit-level characteristics must be considered in the design of safe and inclusive telemedicine models for pediatric acute care.

The Waiting Room Assessment to Virtual Emergency Department pathway: Initiating video-based telemedicine in the pediatric emergency department.

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented pediatric emergency departments with unique challenges, resulting in a heightened demand for adapted clinical pathways. In response to this need, the Montreal Children's Hospital pediatric emergency department introduced the WAVE (Waiting Room Assessment to Virtual Emergency Department) pathway, a video-based telemedicine pathway for selected non-critical patients, aiming to reduce safety issues related to emergency department overcrowding, while providing timely care to all children presenting and registering at our emergency department. The objective of the WAVE pilot phase was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of telemedicine in our pediatric emergency department, which was previously unfamiliar with this mode of care delivery. During the six-week, three-evening per week deployment, we conducted 18 five-hour telemedicine shifts. In total, 27 patients participated in the WAVE pathway. Results from this pilot phase met four of five a priori feasibility and acceptability criteria. Overall, participating families were satisfied with this novel care pathway and reported no disruptive technological barriers.

Drivers of variation in telemedicine use during the COVID-19 pandemic: The experience of a large academic cardiovascular practice.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 spurred rapid adoption and expansion of telemedicine. We investigated the factors driving visit modality (telemedicine vs. in-person) for outpatient visits at a large cardiovascular center. METHODS: We used electronic health record data from March 2020 to February 2021 from four cardiology subspecialties (general cardiology, electrophysiology, heart failure, and interventional cardiology) at a large academic health system in Northern California. There were 21,912 new and return visits with 69% delivered by telemedicine. We used hierarchical logistic regression and cross-validation methods to estimate the variation in visit modality explained by patient, clinician, and visit factors as measured by the mean area under the curve. RESULTS: Across all subspecialties, the clinician seen was the strongest predictor of telemedicine usage, while primary visit diagnosis was the next most predictive. In general cardiology, the model based on clinician seen had a mean area under the curve of 0.83, the model based on the primary diagnosis had a mean area under the curve of 0.69, and the model based on all patient characteristics combined had a mean area under the curve of 0.56. There was significant variation in telemedicine use across clinicians within each subspecialty, even for visits with the same primary visit diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Individual clinician practice patterns had the largest influence on visit modality across subspecialties in a large cardiovascular medicine practice, while primary diagnosis was less predictive, and patient characteristics even less so. Cardiovascular clinics should reduce variability in visit modality selection through standardized processes that integrate clinical factors and patient preference.

Changes in telemedicine use and ambulatory visit volumes at a multispecialty cardiovascular center during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, cardiology clinics rapidly implemented telemedicine to maintain access to care. Little is known about subsequent trends in telemedicine use and visit volumes across cardiology subspecialties. We conducted a retrospective cohort study including all patients with ambulatory visits at a multispecialty cardiovascular center in Northern California from March 2019 to February 2020 (pre-COVID) and March 2020 to February 2021 (COVID). Telemedicine use increased from 3.5% of visits (1200/33,976) during the pre-COVID period to 63.0% (21,251/33,706) during the COVID period. Visit volumes were below pre-COVID levels from March to May 2020 but exceeded pre-COVID levels after June 2020, including when local COVID-19 cases peaked. Telemedicine use was above 75% of visits in all cardiology subspecialties in April 2020 and stabilized at rates ranging from over 95% in electrophysiology to under 25% in heart transplant and vascular medicine. From June 2020 to February 2021, subspecialties delivering a greater percentage of visits through telemedicine experienced larger increases in new patient visits (r = 0.81, p = 0.029). Telemedicine can be used to deliver a significant proportion of outpatient cardiovascular care though utilization varies across subspecialties. Higher rates of telemedicine adoption may increase access to care in cardiology clinics.

Fantastic perspectives and where to find them: involving patients and citizens in digital health research.

BACKGROUND: Digital contact tracing and exposure notification apps have quickly emerged as a potential solution to achieve timely and effective contact tracing for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Nonetheless, their actual uptake remains limited. Citizens, including patients, are rarely consulted and included in the design and implementation process. Their contribution supports the acceptability of such apps, by providing upstream evidence on incentives and potential barriers that are most relevant to users. The DIGICIT (DIGITal CITizenship) project relied on patient and citizen partnership in research to better integrate public perspectives on these apps. In this paper, we present the co-construction process that led to the survey instrument used in the DIGICIT project and the interpretation of its results. This approach promotes public participation in research on contact tracing and exposure notification apps, as well as related digital health applications. OBJECTIVES: This article has three objectives: (1) describe the methodological process to co-construct a questionnaire and interpret the survey results with patients and citizens, (2) assess their experiences regarding this methodology, and (3) propose best practices for their involvement in digital health research. METHODS: The DIGICIT project was developed in four steps: (1) creation of the advisory committee composed of patients and citizens, (2) co-construction of a questionnaire, (3) interpretation of survey results, and (4) assessment of the experience of committee participants. RESULTS: Of the 25 applications received for participation in the advisory committee, we selected 12 people based on pre-established diversity criteria. Participants initially generated 84 survey questions in the first co-construction meeting, and eventually selected 36 in the final version. Participants made more than 20 recommendations when interpreting survey results and suggested carrying out focus groups with marginalized populations to increase representativity. They appreciated their inclusion early in the research process, being listened to and respected, the collective intelligence, and the method used for integrating their suggestions. They suggested that the study objectives and roles be better defined, that more time in the brainstorming sessions be allowed, and that discussion outside of meetings be encouraged. CONCLUSION: Having patients and citizens actively participating in this research constitutes the main methodological strength. They enriched the study from start to finish, and recommended the addition of focus groups to seek the perspective of marginalized groups that are typically under-represented from digital health research. Clear communication of the project objectives, good organization in meetings, and continuous evaluation from participants allow best practices to be achieved for patients' and citizens' involvement in digital health research. Co-construction in research generates critical study design ideas through collective intelligence. This methodology can be used in various clinical contexts and different healthcare settings.

COVID Alert is a mobile application (app) that was developed created to help limit the spread of COVID-19 in Canada. Although promising, these apps have not been widely used by the population, in part due to limited citizen engagement in their design. The DIGICIT project (DIGITal CITizenship) was carried out in partnership with citizens, including patients, to gather public perspective in Quebec, Canada about the COVID Alert app. The purpose of this article is to describe our method of constructing a survey questionnaire with patients and citizens. We have created an advisory committee of 12 participants. Along with the research team, they created a 36-question survey. They also suggested doing focus groups to add data to the survey by reaching marginalized groups that are traditionally excluded from digital health research. We also wanted to know the experience of the participants being included in this study. We conducted interviews and did a small survey with them. They appreciated being included from the beginning of the research, being listened to, and being respected. They appreciated the creativity of the group and the brainstorming sessions. However, they would have liked the tasks to be clearer from the start. They also would have preferred to have more time in the brainstorming sessions to create the survey questions, and to have discussions outside of the meetings. The inclusion of patients and citizens is the main strength of this project. To improve their integration in health research, there needs to be good communication of project objectives. Also, meetings must be well organized, and participants must be able to evaluate their experience.

Public Perspectives on Exposure Notification Apps: A Patient and Citizen Co-Designed Study.

Canada deployed a digital exposure notification app (COVID Alert) as a strategy to support manual contact tracing. Our aims are to (1) assess the use, knowledge, and concerns of the COVID Alert app, (2) identify predictors of app downloads, and (3) develop strategies to promote social acceptability. A 36-item questionnaire was co-designed by 12 citizens and patients partnered with 16 academic researchers and was distributed in the province of Québec, Canada, from May 27 to 28 June 2021. Of 959 respondents, 43% had downloaded the app. Messaging from government sources constituted the largest influence on app download. Infrequent social contacts and perceived app inefficacy were the main reasons not to download the app. Cybersecurity, data confidentiality, loss of privacy, and geolocation were the most frequent concerns. Nearly half of the respondents inaccurately believed that the app used geolocation. Most respondents supported citizen involvement in app development. The identified predictors for app uptake included nine characteristics. In conclusion, this project highlights four key themes on how to promote the social acceptability of such tools: (1) improved communication and explanation of key app characteristics, (2) design features that incentivize adoption, (3) inclusive socio-technical features, and (4) upstream public partnership in development and deployment.

Mental Health-Related Emergency Department Visits in Adolescents Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multicentric Retrospective Study.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare pre/post-COVID-19 changes in mental health-related emergency department visits among adolescents. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all mental health-related emergency department visits in two large tertiary pediatric hospital centers between January 2018 and December 2020. We described monthly pre/post-COVID-19 changes in frequency and proportion of mental health visits as well as changes in hospitalization rates for eating disorders, suicidality, substance use, and other mental health conditions. RESULTS: We found an increase in the proportion of mental health-related emergency department visits during the months of July-December 2020 (p < .01). There was a 62% increase in eating disorder visits between 2018-2019 and 2020 (p < .01). No pre pandemic/postpandemic changes were found in the proportion of visits resulting in hospitalization for any of the four diagnostic categories. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests significant impacts of COVID-19 on adolescent mental health and a need for further longitudinal research work in this area.

Parental administration of inhaled short-acting beta agonists in the pediatric emergency department: a survey of family perspectives.

BACKGROUND: The management of children with an asthma exacerbation includes timely systemic corticosteroids and frequent short-acting beta-agonist therapy. In selected patients, inhaled short-acting beta-agonist administration by parents may promote comfort, constitute an educational opportunity for the family, and safely reduce provider workload. Our objective was to evaluate parental satisfaction and perceived safety of this new approach. METHOD: This was a cross-sectional study, conducted in a tertiary pediatric ED. We investigated patient and parent perspectives on a newly implemented parental short-acting beta-agonist administration program. A convenience sample of families participating in this program was approached for study enrolment. The primary outcome was the proportion of parents and children who were satisfied with the program. We also evaluated the program's safety and impact on asthma education as reported by parents. RESULTS: From February 2019 to March 2020, 72 of 74 (97%) families approached for enrolment participated in the survey. A vast majority (95%) of parents appreciated the program and 93% would participate again. Among children > 7 years, 86% preferred receiving inhaled short-acting beta-agonist by their parents rather than by a healthcare provider. Nearly all parents (96%) found the program to be "safe" or "very safe". Some participants reported improvements in their inhaler administration technique (25%) and ability to recognize their child's respiratory distress (25%). CONCLUSION: A novel parental short-acting beta-agonist administration program in the pediatric ED was widely appreciated by participating families. Parents perceived it as being safe, educational, and contributing to their child's comfort.

RéSUMé: CONTEXTE: La prise en charge des enfants présentant une exacerbation d'asthme comprend des corticostéroïdes systémiques et un traitement avec des doses fréquentes de bêta-agonistes à courte durée d'action. Chez certains patients, l'administration de bêta-agonistes à courte durée d'action en inhalation par les parents pourrait favoriser le confort, représenter une opportunité éducative pour la famille et réduire en toute sécurité la charge de travail des professionnels de la santé. Notre objectif était d'évaluer la satisfaction parentale et la sécurité perçue d'une telle nouvelle approche. MéTHODE: Cette étude transversale a été menée dans un service d'urgence pédiatrique tertiaire. Nous avons étudié les points de vue des patients et des parents impliqués dans un programme d'administration parentale de bêta-agonistes à courte durée d'action récemment déployé. Un échantillonnage de convenance de familles participant à ce programme a été invité à participer à l'étude. L'issue primaire était la proportion de parents et d'enfants satisfaits par ce programme. La sécurité du programme et son impact sur l'éducation sur l'asthme, tels que rapportés par les parents, ont aussi été évalués. RéSULTATS: De février 2019 à mars 2020, 72 des 74 familles (97 %) approchées ont participé à l'étude. Une grande majorité (95 %) des parents ont apprécié le programme et 93 % y participeraient à nouveau. Parmi les enfants de plus de 7 ans, 86 % ont préféré recevoir le bêta-agoniste à courte durée d'action par voie inhalée par leurs parents plutôt que par un professionnel de la santé. Presque tous les parents (96 %) ont trouvé le programme « sécuritaire¼ ou « très sécuritaire¼. Certains participants ont signalé des améliorations dans leur technique d'administration d'inhalateur (25 %) et dans leur capacité à reconnaître la détresse respiratoire chez leur enfant (25 %). CONCLUSION: Un nouveau programme d'administration de bêta-agonistes à courte durée d'action par les parents  dans un département d'urgence pédiatrique a été largement apprécié par les familles participantes. Les parents percevaient ce programme comme sécuritaire, éducatif et contribuant au confort de leur enfant.