Utilizing health information technology in the treatment and management of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic: lessons from international case study sites.

EN BREF ...

"The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which causes severe respiratory disease in high-risk groups, was first identified in Wuhan in China and has subsequently progressed to a global pandemic causing over 100 million infections and almost 2.3 million deaths as of February 2021. Despite unprecedented measures to control the spread of the virus, prevalence remains high, and health services have been under considerable strain as a result. For example, one meta-analysis found that 32% of patients entering hospital due to COVID-19 were subsequently admitted to intensive care units (ICU)[8]. Additionally, hospitals have experienced significant increased strain due to drug shortages, ICU resource shortages, and infection of frontline healthcare personnel. While long-term solutions to the pandemic will likely be based on the roll-out of vaccines and effective treatments, a number of researchers and practitioners have highlighted the role that electronic health records (EHRs), computerized physician order entry systems (CPOE), and telehealth can play in managing and treating the high volume of hospital admissions and cases effectively. which is typically managed by medical informaticians. Such technologies have already been successfully utilized to manage patients during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. For example, reports and studies have advocated for the role telehealth could play in reducing risk of both provider and routine patient exposure to the virus. Additionally, using data from EHRs to identify potential cases and manage workflow has been highlighted as a potential strategy, as has the customization of provider screens, clinical decision support (CDS) and efforts to increase interoperability of different systems within the wider EHR." En bref issu de l'étude.