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Telehealth in the ER affords better outcomes for both patients and healthcare providers - research

20/10/2020

Telehealth in the ER affords better outcomes for both patients and healthcare providers - research

We’ve written before about how telehealth has come into its own during the Covid-19 pandemic. Adoption of telehealth has allowed patients with less serious ailments to remain at home and seek advice remotely, freeing up clinicians’ precious time to focus on individuals with more pressing healthcare needs.


Now, new research shows that when utilized in an ER setting, telehealth solutions can yield positive results for both patients and providers.


According to the research published in the INFORMS journal Information Systems Research, which looked at emergency room visits in New York from 2010 to 2014, increasing wider use of telehealth in the emergency room can reduce both wait times and patient length of stay.


When it came to patient length of stay, telehealth had a positive impact because it allowed for more flexible resource allocation, particularly when there is an ER demand surge and/or supply shortage. Furthermore, adoption of telehealth in ERs also reduces patient wait time, a reality that in turn reduces length of stay. This is a particularly important factor because of the common and nagging problem of overcrowding in ERs. With social distancing guidelines still firmly in place, reducing overcrowding in emergency rooms needs to be a top priority for hospitals.

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