Telemedicine for Screening and Follow-Up of Glaucoma: A Descriptive Study.

Introduction: Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness. It is a prevalent disease worldwide, affecting ∼70 million people and expected to reach up to 112 million by 2040. Purpose: The aim of this study is to describe the implementation and initial experience of a telemedicine program to monitor glaucoma and glaucoma suspect patients in a large, integrated health care system during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A retrospective chart review of established glaucoma or glaucoma suspect patients who participated in a telemedicine evaluation at the ophthalmic center of a large, Colombian health care system between June 2020 and April 2023 was conducted. Clinical and sociodemographic variables were analyzed. Generated clinical orders for additional testing, surgical procedures, follow-ups, and referrals, as well as changes in medical treatment, were evaluated. Results: A total of 11,034 telemedicine consults were included. The mean ± standard deviation age of this group was 63 ± 17.2 years and 67% were female. Of the patients who attended teleconsults, 49% were glaucoma suspects and 38.5% were followed with a diagnosis of open-angle glaucoma. After the consult, 25% of patients were referred to a glaucoma specialist, 40% had additional testing ordered, and 8% had a surgical procedure ordered, mainly laser iridotomy (409 cases). Almost a third of patients returned for subsequent telemedicine visits after the initial encounter. Despite some technical difficulties, 99.8% of patients attended and completed their scheduled telemedicine appointments. Conclusions: A telemedicine program aimed to monitor established glaucoma patients can be successfully implemented. Established patients within an integrated health care system have high adherence to the virtual model. Further research by health care institutions and government agencies will be key to expand coverage to additional populations. Clinical Trial Registration Number: CEIFUS 1026-24.

Implementing Telemedicine in Clinical Practice in the First Digital Hematology Unit: Feasibility Study.

BACKGROUND: Currently, there are no telemedicine models that fully integrate all areas of hematology into daily practice. OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this feasibility study were to assess the practicality of implementing telemedicine into our clinical practice in the first Digital Hematology Unit and propose an innovative integrative design for clinical practice. METHODS: We designed the Digital Hematology Unit, which is a specific physical space dedicated to carrying out telemedicine and monitoring patients in a holistic way. Also, a satisfaction questionnaire was performed and health care indicators were measured. RESULTS: In 2021, there were 1331 first visits and 7534 follow-up visits. Of the first visits, 12.2% (n=163) were face-to-face and 87.8% (n=1168) were telematic. For follow-up visits, 29.9% (n=2251) were face-to-face and 70.1% (n=5283) were telematic. The health care management indicators showed that we had a waiting time of less than 4 days and took less than 4 hours to answer interconsultations among specialists. Moreover, patients reported a high level of satisfaction with the services provided. CONCLUSIONS: Our Digital Hematology Unit, as a case of success, serves as an example of how innovative digital solutions can contribute to the quality of care and excellence in health care achieved through a digital transformation process led by hematologists.

Exploring Patient Advisors' Perceptions of Virtual Care Across Canada: Qualitative Phenomenological Study.

BACKGROUND: While virtual care services existed prior to the emergence of COVID-19, the pandemic catalyzed a rapid transition from in-person to virtual care service delivery across the Canadian health care system. Virtual care includes synchronous or asynchronous delivery of health care services through video visits, telephone visits, or secure messaging. Patient advisors are people with patient and caregiving experiences who collaborate within the health care system to share insights and experiences in order to improve health care. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to understand patient advisors' perceptions related to virtual care and potential impacts on health care quality. METHODS: We adopted a phenomenological approach, whereby we interviewed 20 participants who were patient advisors across Canada using a semistructured interview protocol. The protocol was developed by content experts and medical education researchers. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically. Data collection stopped once thematic saturation was reached. The study was conducted at Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario. We recruited 20 participants from 5 Canadian provinces (17 female participants and 3 male participants). RESULTS: Six themes were identified: (1) characteristics of effective health care, (2) experiences with virtual care, (3) modality preferences, (4) involvement of others, (5) risks associated with virtual care encounters, and (6) vulnerable populations. Participants reported that high-quality health care included building relationships and treating patients holistically. In general, participants described positive experiences with virtual care during the pandemic, including greater efficiency, increased accessibility, and that virtual care was less stressful and more patient centered. Participants comparing virtual care with in-person care reported that time, scheduling, and content of interactions were similar across modalities. However, participants also shared the perception that certain modalities were more appropriate for specific clinical encounters (eg, prescription renewals and follow-up appointments). Perspectives related to the involvement of family members and medical trainees were positive. Potential risks included miscommunication, privacy concerns, and inaccurate patient assessments. All participants agreed that stakeholders should be proactive in applying strategies to support vulnerable patients. Participants also recommended education for patients and providers to improve virtual care delivery. CONCLUSIONS: Participant-reported experiences of virtual care encounters were relatively positive. Future work could focus on delivering training and resources for providers and patients. While initial experiences are positive, there is a need for ongoing stakeholder engagement and evaluation to improve patient and caregiver experiences with virtual care.

Implementation of E-Consults in an Integrated Health System for a Value Population.

The adoption of e-consults, a form of formal, asynchronous provider-to-provider communication in which specialty medical advice is sought, has been proven to reduce unnecessary specialty consultations, build provider relationships, and reduce fragmentation of care. While the utilization of e-consults is generally a well-accepted alternative method of incorporating specialist expertise into a patient's plan of care and adoption has become common, the implementation of this disruptive care delivery modality can be challenging. This article seeks to describe the process and operational outcomes of e-consult adoption in an integrated health system with a focus on the benefits in the context of value-based care. Implications of e-consult adoption on referral volumes, wait times, and cancellation rates at the service line level are investigated. E-consult adoption and completion metrics, including utilization, completed versus rejected, turn-around times, and projected cost savings, are also discussed.

Virtual Care Team Guided Management of Patients With Heart Failure During Hospitalization.

BACKGROUND: Scalable and safe approaches for heart failure guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) optimization are needed. OBJECTIVES: The authors assessed the safety and effectiveness of a virtual care team guided strategy on GDMT optimization in hospitalized patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). METHODS: In a multicenter implementation trial, we allocated 252 hospital encounters in patients with left ventricular ejection fraction ≤40% to a virtual care team guided strategy (107 encounters among 83 patients) or usual care (145 encounters among 115 patients) across 3 centers in an integrated health system. In the virtual care team group, clinicians received up to 1 daily GDMT optimization suggestion from a physician-pharmacist team. The primary effectiveness outcome was in-hospital change in GDMT optimization score (+2 initiations, +1 dose up-titrations, -1 dose down-titrations, -2 discontinuations summed across classes). In-hospital safety outcomes were adjudicated by an independent clinical events committee. RESULTS: Among 252 encounters, the mean age was 69 ± 14 years, 85 (34%) were women, 35 (14%) were Black, and 43 (17%) were Hispanic. The virtual care team strategy significantly improved GDMT optimization scores vs usual care (adjusted difference: +1.2; 95% CI: 0.7-1.8; P < 0.001). New initiations (44% vs 23%; absolute difference: +21%; P = 0.001) and net intensifications (44% vs 24%; absolute difference: +20%; P = 0.002) during hospitalization were higher in the virtual care team group, translating to a number needed to intervene of 5 encounters. Overall, 23 (21%) in the virtual care team group and 40 (28%) in usual care experienced 1 or more adverse events (P = 0.30). Acute kidney injury, bradycardia, hypotension, hyperkalemia, and hospital length of stay were similar between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients hospitalized with HFrEF, a virtual care team guided strategy for GDMT optimization was safe and improved GDMT across multiple hospitals in an integrated health system. Virtual teams represent a centralized and scalable approach to optimize GDMT.

Understanding virtual primary healthcare with Indigenous populations: a rapid evidence review.

BACKGROUND: Virtual care has become an increasingly useful tool for the virtual delivery of care across the globe. With the unexpected emergence of COVID-19 and ongoing public health restrictions, it has become evident that the delivery of high-quality telemedicine is critical to ensuring the health and wellbeing of Indigenous peoples, especially those living in rural and remote communities. METHODS: We conducted a rapid evidence review from August to December 2021 to understand how high quality Indigenous primary healthcare is defined in virtual modalities. After completing data extraction and quality appraisal, a total of 20 articles were selected for inclusion. The following question was used to guide the rapid review: How is high quality Indigenous primary healthcare defined in virtual modalities? RESULTS: We discuss key limitations to the delivery of virtual care, including the increasing cost of technology, lack of accessibility, challenges with digital literacy, and language barriers. This review further yielded four main themes that highlight Indigenous virtual primary healthcare quality: (1) limitations and barriers of virtual primary healthcare, (2) Indigenous-centred virtual primary healthcare, (3) virtual Indigenous relationality, (4) collaborative approaches to ensuring holistic virtual care. DISCUSSION: For virtual care to be Indigenous-centred, Indigenous leadership and users need to be partners in the development, implementation and evaluation of the intervention, service or program. In terms of virtual models of care, time must be allocated to educate Indigenous partners on digital literacy, virtual care infrastructure, benefits and limitations. Relationality and culture must be prioritized as well as digital health equity. CONCLUSION: These findings highlight important considerations for strengthening virtual primary healthcare approaches to meet the needs of Indigenous peoples worldwide.

Education guidelines, frameworks and resources for building virtual care capacity: An integrative review.

INTRODUCTION: Despite its reported benefits, the accelerated adoption of virtual care since the COVID-19 pandemic has occurred without critical consideration of clinician education and training. This integrative review aims to better understand the necessary education guidelines, frameworks and resources for building the confidence and capability of the workforce for virtual care delivery. METHODS: Whittemore and Knafl's (2005) five-stage methodological framework informed this review. Using a clearly articulated search strategy and reporting process, over 8000 pieces of literature were analysed. A final 46 publications comprising 26 scholarly papers and 20 pieces of grey literature were included for review. RESULTS: A set of key curriculum inclusions under three domains: clinical, administrative and technical are proposed. Many publications emphasise a domain-specific approach as the most effective means of translating virtual care knowledge and skills to practice. A number of new domain frameworks have been tailormade for specific disciplines, while well-established frameworks such as the ACGME, CanMEDS, AAMC and IPEC have been adapted for virtual care education. Virtual care checklists, clinical champions and models that involve frontline clinicians, content experts and care recipients are considered useful resources for virtual care education. DISCUSSION: Moving beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual care education for current and future clinicians requires a cohesive, interprofessional approach. This approach should be rigorously evaluated as part of a continuous quality improvement process.

Patient characteristics associated with the successful transition to virtual care: Lessons learned from the first million patients.

INTRODUCTION: The increased use of telehealth to maintain ambulatory care during the COVID-19 pandemic had potential to exacerbate or diminish disparities in access to care. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe patient characteristics associated with successful transition from in-person to virtual care, and video vs audio-only participation. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of electronic health record data from all patients with ambulatory visits from 1 October 2019-30 September 2020 in a large integrated health system in the Northeast USA. The outcome of interest was receipt of virtual care, and video vs audio-only participation. We matched home addresses with census-tract level area social vulnerability index (SVI) and Internet access. Among ambulatory care patients, we used logistic regression to identify characteristics associated with virtual participation. Among virtual participants, we identified characteristics associated with video vs audio-only visits. RESULTS: Among 1,241,313 patients, 528,542 (42.6%) were virtual participants. Relative to in-person only, virtual participants were older, more often English-proficient and with activated patient portal. Characteristics associated with virtual participation included patients with: only behavioural health visits, COVID patients, highest quartile of visit frequency, and multiple visit types. Characteristics associated with video participation (relative to audio-only) included being younger and patients with: only behavioural health visits, highest quartile of visit frequency, non-Hispanic black race, limited English proficiency and inactivated portal account. DISCUSSION: In our regional healthcare system, the transition to virtual care during COVID was vital for continued access to care, but substantial inequity remained. Without audio-only visits, access to care would have been even more limited for our most vulnerable patients.

Care Coordination of Older Adults With Diabetes: A Scoping Review.

OBJECTIVES: Care coordination is a common intervention to support older adults with diabetes and their caregivers, and provides individualized, integrated health and social care. However, the optimal approach of care coordination is not well described. In this scoping review we synthesized evidence regarding the implementation of traditional and virtual care coordination for older adults with diabetes to inform future research and best practices. METHODS: The Joanna Briggs Institute scoping review methods were used. A systematic search was conducted in CINAHL, Embase, EmCare, and Medline, as well as a targeted grey literature search, and a hand-search of reference lists. Screening and data extraction were completed by 3 independent reviewers. RESULTS: Forty-two articles were included in the synthesis. Included studies operationalized care coordination in different ways. The most commonly implemented elements of care coordination were regular communication and monitoring. In contrast, coordination between health-care teams and the community, individualized planning, and caregiver involvement were less often reported. Outcomes to evaluate the impact of care coordination were predominantly diabetes-centric, and less often person-centred. In addition, evidence indicates that older adults value a trusting relationship with their care coordinator. CONCLUSIONS: Studies assessing care coordination for older adults with diabetes have shown positive outcomes. To inform best practices, future intervention research for this population should focus on evaluating the impact of comprehensive care planning, system navigation across the health and social care sectors, the care coordinator and patient relationship and caregiver support.

Association Between Virtual Care Use and Same-Day Primary Care Access in VA Primary Care-Mental Health Integration.

INTRODUCTION: Same-day referrals from primary care to mental health increase subsequent mental health treatment engagement. VA Primary Care-Mental Health Integration (PC-MHI) clinics offer integrated mental health services embedded in primary care clinics, providing a key entry point to mental health care. Although telehealth use expanded rapidly after the onset of COVID-19, the impact of telehealth on same-day primary care access among new PC-MHI mental health patients is unknown. To address this knowledge gap, we examined associations between telehealth use and same-day primary care access in VA PC-MHI. METHODS: We examined electronic health record data to identify same-day primary care appointments among PC-MHI patients who initiated care during 3/1/2018 to 10/29/2021. We used logistic regression analyses to evaluate the effect of telehealth on same-day primary care access. Time, demographic characteristics, mental health diagnoses (PTSD and depression), and substance use disorder diagnosis were evaluated as covariates. RESULTS: New PC-MHI patients who were seen via telehealth were less likely to receive same-day primary care access than patients seen in person (OR: 0.54; 95% CI: 0.41-0.71; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Despite the potential advantages of using telehealth to increase access, VA patients with an initial PC-MHI visit via telehealth were less likely than patients seen in person to be referred from primary care. Telehealth may adversely affect primary care referrals to mental health services, an outcome that could ultimately reduce specialty mental health care continuity. There is an urgent need to identify strategies to facilitate PC-MHI care coordination in the telehealth context.

Web-Based Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing for Adults With Suicidal Ideation: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Adversity and traumatic experiences increase the likelihood of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based, trauma-focused psychotherapy that desensitizes painful memories, so that reminders in the present no longer provoke overwhelming emotional responses. Preliminary evidence suggests that EMDR can be used as an acute intervention in suicidal patients, including those with major depressive disorder. In addition, because of social distancing restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, clinicians have been using EMDR on the web and, in the absence of formal evaluations of web-based EMDR, informal reports indicate good results. OBJECTIVE: The primary aim of this randomized controlled trial is to investigate whether remotely delivered EMDR (targeting experiences associated with suicidal thinking) reduces suicidal thoughts. Secondary aims include examining the impact of remotely delivered EMDR on symptoms of depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, emotional dysregulation, and dissociation. We will also report on adverse events in the EMDR group to explore whether targeting suicidal ideation with EMDR is safe. Finally, we will compare dropout rates between the treatment groups. METHODS: In this randomized controlled trial, 80 adults who express suicidal ideation and meet the study criteria will receive either 12 sessions of twice weekly EMDR plus treatment as usual or treatment as usual alone. EMDR sessions will focus on the most distressing and intrusive memories associated with suicidal ideation. Data for primary and secondary objectives will be collected at baseline, 2 months, and 4 months after enrollment. A subsequent longer-term analysis, beyond the scope of this protocol, will examine differences between the groups with respect to the number of posttreatment emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and overall health care use in the year before and after therapy. RESULTS: The protocol was approved by the University of Alberta Research Health Ethics Board (protocol ID Pro00090989). Funding for this study was provided by the Mental Health Foundation (grant RES0048906). Recruitment started in May 2021, with a projected completion date of March 2023. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this trial will contribute to knowledge on whether web-based delivery of EMDR is a safe and effective treatment for reducing suicidal ideation and potentially reducing the incidence of suicide attempts in this patient population. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04181047; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04181047. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/30711.

Transforming Health and Resiliency Through Integration of Values-based Experiences: Implementation of an Electronic Evidence-based Whole Health Clinical Program.

BACKGROUND: Complementary and integrative health (CIH) is the foundation of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Whole Health System program (WH), including Transforming Health and Resiliency through Integration of Values-based Experiences (THRIVE). The global COVID-19 pandemic prompted an urgent need to provide services such as THRIVE while following guidelines for social distancing. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this paper was to describe the systematic implementation of THRIVE using an electronic delivery model. METHODS: The study involved an observational clinical program implementation project using the RE-AIM framework to contextualize the implementation strategies and results, and then the implementation of an electronically delivered CIH group medical appointment program (eTHRIVE). RESULTS: Clinical staff transitioned to 100% electronic delivery of the THRIVE curriculum using the new eTHRIVE delivery model. The current electronic delivery model, eTHRIVE, has effectively enrolled 10-12 veterans per cohort, with 8 cohorts, totaling 87 veterans to date. eTHRIVE attrition has been 6% (5/87) since initiation. CONCLUSIONS: The current climate of the VA WH programmatic initiative combined with the public health needs during a global pandemic prompted the move of THRIVE program into an electronic format to broaden scalability and reach.

Expanding Telemonitoring in a Virtual World: A Case Study of the Expansion of a Heart Failure Telemonitoring Program During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: To minimize the spread and risk of a COVID-19 outbreak, societal norms have been challenged with respect to how essential services are delivered. With pressures to reduce the number of in-person ambulatory visits, innovative models of telemonitoring have been used during the pandemic as a necessary alternative to support access to care for patients with chronic conditions. The pandemic has led health care organizations to consider the adoption of telemonitoring interventions for the first time, while others have seen existing programs rapidly expand. OBJECTIVE: At the Toronto General Hospital in Ontario, Canada, the rapid expansion of a telemonitoring program began on March 9, 2020, in response to COVID-19. The objective of this study was to understand the experiences related to the expanded role of a telemonitoring program under the changing conditions of the pandemic. METHODS: A single-case qualitative study was conducted with 3 embedded units of analysis. Semistructured interviews probed the experiences of patients, clinicians, and program staff from the Medly telemonitoring program at a heart function clinic in Toronto, Canada. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis as well as Eakin and Gladstone's value-adding approach to enhance the analytic interpretation of the study findings. RESULTS: A total of 29 participants were interviewed, including patients (n=16), clinicians (n=9), and operational staff (n=4). Four themes were identified: (1) providing care continuity through telemonitoring; (2) adapting telemonitoring operations for a more virtual health care system; (3) confronting virtual workflow challenges; and (4) fostering a meaningful patient-provider relationship. Beyond supporting virtual visits, the program's ability to provide a more comprehensive picture of the patient's health was valued. However, issues relating to the lack of system integration and alert-driven interactions jeopardized the perceived sustainability of the program. CONCLUSIONS: With the reduction of in-person visits during the pandemic, virtual services such as telemonitoring have demonstrated significant value. Based on our study findings, we offer recommendations to proactively adapt and scale telemonitoring programs under the changing conditions of an increasingly virtual health care system. These include revisiting the scope and expectations of telemedicine interventions, streamlining virtual patient onboarding processes, and personalizing the collection of patient information to build a stronger virtual relationship and a more holistic assessment of patient well-being.

Effectiveness of an 8-Week Web-Based Mindfulness Virtual Community Intervention for University Students on Symptoms of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression: Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: A student mental health crisis is increasingly acknowledged and will only intensify with the COVID-19 crisis. Given accessibility of methods with demonstrated efficacy in reducing depression and anxiety (eg, mindfulness meditation and cognitive behavioral therapy [CBT]) and limitations imposed by geographic obstructions and localized expertise, web-based alternatives have become vehicles for scaled-up delivery of benefits at modest cost. Mindfulness Virtual Community (MVC), a web-based program informed by CBT constructs and featuring online videos, discussion forums, and videoconferencing, was developed to target depression, anxiety, and experiences of excess stress among university students. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of an 8-week web-based mindfulness and CBT program in reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress (primary outcomes) and increasing mindfulness (secondary outcome) within a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with undergraduate students at a large Canadian university. METHODS: An RCT was designed to assess undergraduate students (n=160) who were randomly allocated to a web-based guided mindfulness-CBT condition (n=80) or to a waitlist control (WLC) condition (n=80). The 8-week intervention consisted of a web-based platform comprising (1) 12 video-based modules with psychoeducation on students' preidentified life challenges and applied mindfulness practice; (2) anonymous peer-to-peer discussion forums; and (3) anonymous, group-based, professionally guided 20-minute live videoconferences. The outcomes (depression, anxiety, stress, and mindfulness) were measured via an online survey at baseline and at 8 weeks postintervention using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ9), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the Five Facets Mindfulness Questionnaire Short Form (FFMQ-SF). Analyses employed generalized estimation equation methods with AR(1) covariance structures and were adjusted for possible covariates (gender, age, country of birth, ethnicity, English as first language, paid work, unpaid work, relationship status, physical exercise, self-rated health, and access to private mental health counseling). RESULTS: Of the 159 students who provided T1 data, 32 were males and 125 were females with a mean age of 22.55 years. Participants in the MVC (n=79) and WLC (n=80) groups were similar in sociodemographic characteristics at T1 with the exception of gender and weekly hours of unpaid volunteer work. At postintervention follow-up, according to the adjusted comparisons, there were statistically significant between-group reductions in depression scores (ß=-2.21, P=.01) and anxiety scores (ß=-4.82, P=.006), and a significant increase in mindfulness scores (ß=4.84, P=.02) compared with the WLC group. There were no statistically significant differences in perceived stress for MVC (ß=.64, P=.48) compared with WLC. CONCLUSIONS: With the MVC intervention, there were significantly reduced depression and anxiety symptoms but no significant effect on perceived stress. Online mindfulness interventions can be effective in addressing common mental health conditions among postsecondary populations on a large scale, simultaneously reducing the current burden on traditional counseling services. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN Registry ISRCTN12249616; http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN12249616.