A Utility Framework for COVID-19 Online Forward Triage Tools: A Swiss Telehealth Case Study.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic caused a surge in online tools commonly known as symptom checkers. The purpose of these symptom checkers was mostly to reduce the health system burden by providing worried people with testing criteria, where to test and how to self-care. Technical, usability and organizational challenges with regard to online forward triage tools have also been reported. Very few of these online forward triage tools have been evaluated. Evidence for decision frameworks may be of particular value in a pandemic setting where time frames are restricted, uncertainties are ubiquitous and the evidence base is changing rapidly. The objective was to develop a framework to evaluate the utility of COVID-19 online forward triage tools. The development of the online forward triage tool utility framework was conducted in three phases. The process was guided by the socio-ecological framework for adherence that states that patient (individual), societal and broader structural factors affect adherence to the tool. In a further step, pragmatic incorporation of themes on the utility of online forward triage tools that emerged from our study as well as from the literature was performed. Seven criteria emerged; tool accessibility, reliability as an information source, medical decision-making aid, allaying fear and anxiety, health system burden reduction, onward forward transmission reduction and systems thinking (usefulness in capacity building, planning and resource allocation, e.g., tests and personal protective equipment). This framework is intended to be a starting point and a generic tool that can be adapted to other online forward triage tools beyond COVID-19. A COVID-19 online forward triage tool meeting all seven criteria can be regarded as fit for purpose. How useful an OFTT is depends on its context and purpose

The Utility of a Pediatric COVID-19 Online Forward Triage Tool in Switzerland.

Background To offset the burden on the health system, hospitals set up telehealth interventions, such as online forward triage tools (OFTT). The website www.coronabambini.ch was developed to specifically address the needs of children and their families in Switzerland and to facilitate the decision to test, isolate, attend school, or access the health care system. Methods Video interviews were held with key informants (n = 20) from a population of parents, teachers, guardians, as well as doctors who had used the child-specific COVID-19 OFTT and had consented to a further study. Convenience and quota sampling were done to include a variety of key informants. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed for themes. Results Three main themes emerged: i) the usefulness of the OFTT to the users, ii) expectation management and importance of stakeholder involvement in OFTT development, and iii) OFTT limitations. Conclusion Our study highlights opportunities, limitations, and lessons to consider when developing a pediatric COVID-19 OFTT. The involvement of stakeholders, parents, teachers, and health care providers in the design, set up, implementation, and evaluation of telehealth interventions is critical as this can help with expectation management and enhance OFTT utility

Use of telehealth and outcomes before a visit to the emergency department: a cross-sectional study on walk-in patients in Switzerland

AIMS OF THE STUDY An increasing number of patients are using telehealth before contacting the healthcare system. If we are to optimise future telehealth strategies and adequately respond to patient needs, we need to know more about the frequency and characteristics of telehealth use. Our objectives were (i) to investigate whether patients use telehealth before consulting the emergency department (ED), (ii) to compare patients with and without use of telehealth, and (iii) to investigate adherence, confidence and satisfaction. MATERIALS AND METHODS A survey was conducted among ED walk-in patients at a tertiary university hospital in Switzerland. Eligible patients were questioned about their use of telehealth before current presentation, during 30 shifts from 23 October to 15 December 2019. RESULTS A total of 183 (43.9%) of 417 surveyed patients used telehealth, with the telephone being the most commonly used modality, especially among elderly patients. Patients using telehealth were more likely to be male (53.5%, p = 0.001) and were similar in age to non-users. Telehealth users tended to be better educated. Telehealth was predominantly used for semi-urgent non-traumatic diseases that did not lead to hospitalisation. All age groups expressed satisfaction with telehealth, trusted the recommendations and adhered to them. The main reason for "non-use" of telehealth was lack of knowledge. CONCLUSIONS Lack of knowledge about telehealth opportunities and barriers in specific patient groups should be addressed to include all patients, and thus to exploit telehealth’s many advantages

The Utility of an Online Forward Triage Tool During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: Health Care Provider and Health Authority Perspectives.

Introduction The SARS CoV-2 pandemic poses major challenges not only to patients but also to health care professionals and policy-makers, with rapidly changing, sometimes complex, recommendations, and guidelines to the population. Online forward triage tools (OFTT) got a major boost from the pandemic as they helped with the implementation and monitoring of recommendations. Methods A multiphase mixed method sequential explanatory study design was employed. Quantitative data were collected first and informed the qualitative interview guides. Video interviews were held with key informants (health care providers and health authorities) between 2 September and 10 December 2020. Audio-recordings were transcribed verbatim, coded thematically and compared with patient perspectives (framework). Objectives To explore the perspectives of health care providers and authorities in Canton Bern on the utility of a COVID-19 OFTT, as well as elicit recommendations for telehealth in future. Results The following themes emerged; (i) accessibility (ii) health system burden reduction (iii) utility in preventing onward transmission (iv) utility in allaying fear and anxiety (v) medical decision-making utility (vi) utility as information source (vii) utility in planning and systems thinking. The health care providers and health authorities further provided insights on potential barriers and facilitators of telehealth in future. Conclusion Similar to patients, health care providers acknowledge the potential and utility of the COVID-19 OFTT particularly as an information source and in reducing the health system burden. Data privacy, doctor-patient relationship, resistance to change, regulatory, and mandate issues, and lack of systems thinking were revealed as barriers to COVID-19 OFTT utility

Telehealth use by walk-in patients who subsequently visited an academic emergency department: a repeated cross-sectional study during the COVID-19 summer 2021.

AIM OF THE STUDY During the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth use increased worldwide in a variety of medical specialities and reached new population groups. A baseline survey of telehealth use prior to admission to the emergency department (ED) conducted before COVID-19 concluded that predominantly well-educated men used telehealth. It is unclear how COVID-19 changed the use of telehealth in Swiss emergency patients. We therefore aimed to investigate (i) the frequency of telehealth use during the pandemic, and (ii) how the pandemic has influenced telehealth use and users. MATERIALS AND METHODS A repeated cross-sectional study was conducted among ED walk-in patients at a tertiary university hospital in Switzerland. The study took place one and a half years after the first confirmed COVID-19 case, during 30 shifts from 8 to 29 July 2021 and compared with the baseline survey conducted in 2019. Eligible patients were questioned about their use of, and attitudes to telehealth. RESULTS A total of 1020 patients were screened for the COVID survey and 443 complete questionnaires were evaluated. A trend towards a general increase (+6.4%) in telehealth use was demonstrated (50.3%, n = 223 COVID survey vs 43.9%, n = 183 baseline survey; p = 0.058), with a shift to more female patients using telehealth in the COVID survey (female 54.9%, n = 124 vs 45.1%, n = 102; p = 0.052). During the pandemic, first use of telehealth was reported by 12.2% (n = 54) of patients, with a significant increase among patients with low educational status, and the latter patients often indicated that they did not plan to use telehealth after the pandemic. The perceived usefulness of telehealth and adherence to recommendations increased in the COVID survey compared with the baseline survey (adherence 90.3%, n = 149, vs 78.0%, n = 131; p = 0.002). CONCLUSION We found a trend towards increased use of telehealth among Swiss ED patients. First-time users of telehealth were predominantly less educated and inclusion of these user groups may not be sustainable, as was indicated by the patients. COVID-19 led to greater adherence to telehealth recommendations and higher perceived usefulness. This could be due to the limited access to healthcare providers due to pandemic precautions. When offering telehealth, the needs of all patient groups must be considered, in order to ensure that telehealth provides the greatest benefit with lower barriers to use

Public health communication: Attitudes, experiences, and lessons learned from users of a COVID-19 digital triage tool for children

Background: The pandemic has made public health communication even more daunting because acceptance and implementation of official guidelines and recommendations hinge on this. The situation becomes even more precarious when children are involved. Our child-specific COVID-19 online forward triage tool (OFTT) revealed some of the public health communication challenges. We aimed to explore attitudes, experiences, and challenges faced by OFTT users and their families, in regard to public health recommendations. Methods: We selected key informants (n = 20) from a population of parents, teachers, guardians, as well as doctors who had used the child-specific COVID-19 OFTT and had consented to a further study. Videos rather than face-face interviews were held. Convenience and quota sampling were performed to include a variety of key informants. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed for themes. Results: Several themes emerged, namely; (1) definition and expectations of high-risk persons, (2) quarantine instructions and challenges, (3) blurred division of responsibility between authorities and parents, (4) a novel condition and the evolution of knowledge, (5) definition and implications of socioeconomic status, (6) new normal and societal divisions, and (7) the interconnectedness of these factors-systems thinking. Conclusion: As the virus is evolving and circumstances are changing rapidly, the communication of public health to the different interest groups becomes, both an art and science, even more so when using a new technological communication channel: an OFTT. A myriad of interconnected factors seems to influence attitudes toward public health recommendations, which calls for systems thinking in public health communication

Effects and utility of an online forward triage tool during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: a mixed method study and patient perspectives, Switzerland.

OBJECTIVE To assess the effects (quantitatively) and the utility (qualitatively) of a COVID-19 online forward triage tool (OFTT) in a pandemic context. DESIGN A mixed method sequential explanatory study was employed. Quantitative data of all OFTT users, between 2 March 2020 and 12 May 2020, were collected. Second, qualitative data were collected through key informant interviews (n=19) to explain the quantitative findings, explore tool utility, user experience and elicit recommendations. SETTING The working group e-emergency medicine at the emergency department developed an OFTT, which was made available online. PARTICIPANTS Participants included all users above the age of 18 that used the OFTT between 2 March 2020 and 12 May 2020. INTERVENTION An OFTT that displayed the current test recommendations of the Federal Office of Public Health on whether someone needed testing for COVID-19 or not. No diagnosis was provided. RESULTS In the study period, 6272 users consulted our OFTT; 40.2% (1626/4049) would have contacted a healthcare provider had the tool not existed. 560 participants consented to a follow-up survey and provided a valid email address. 31.4% (176/560) participants returned a complete follow-up questionnaire. 84.7% (149/176) followed the recommendations given. 41.5% (73/176) reported that their fear was allayed after using the tool. Qualitatively, seven overarching themes emerged namely (1) accessibility of tool, (2) user-friendliness of tool, (3) utility of tool as an information source, (4) utility of tool in allaying fear and anxiety, (5) utility of tool in medical decision-making (6) utility of tool in reducing the potential for onward transmissions and (7) utility of tool in reducing health system burden. CONCLUSION Our findings demonstrated that a COVID-19 OFTT does not only reduce the health system burden but can also serve as an information source, reduce anxiety and fear, reduce potential for cross infections and facilitate medical decision-making

COVID-19 and HIV testing: different viruses but similar prejudices and psychosocial impacts

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) high infectivity and perceived substantial fatality rates are causing negative psychosocial effects, including the increased psychiatric and economic burden. Research has demonstrated that a severe diagnosis triggers various responses in a person, including depression, sense of hopelessness, shame, and self-destructive behaviours. This manuscript explores the reasons why people did not follow the recommendations to be tested for SARS-CoV-2. Methods: A mixed study design, sequential explanatory study was carried out from March-Dec 2020, based on an online COVID-19 symptom checker. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Video interviews were held with Key Informants (n=19), who were selected purposefully from the online tool users’ group that consented to the study. Results: Among 176 users of the online triage tool, 150 (85%) followed the recommendations and 26 (15%) did not. The reasons people did not test for SARS-CoV-2 emerged as fivefold: i) improved symptoms, ii) the cost of test, iii) fear of a painful test procedure, iv) test kit shortages, and v) fear of a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result. Conclusions: Of the reasons why people did not test, fear of a positive SARS-CoV-2 result remains unaddressed in our view. Integrating pre- and post-test counselling into SARS-CoV-2 testing strategies, similarly as done for HIV-testing, seems warranted to address this problem