The Impact of Remote Consultation on Mortality Rate of Covid-19 Patients Admitted to Intensive Care Units

Abstract

During critical situations like the COVID-19 pandemic, a shortage of medical staff not only impacts the mortality of coronavirus patients but also contributes to delayed diagnoses of other life-threatening disorders like cancer. This study aimed to compare death rates and outcomes in patients with COVID-19 admitted to Intensive Care Units through remote and in-person consultations, and Conducted at Razi Hospital in Ahvaz, the cross-sectional study analyzed patient records from ICU admissions in August and September 2020, dividing them into case and control groups. Internal medicine residents provided remote consultations based on requests from attending specialists in other hospitals. Of the 58 patients included, the Remote Consultation group had significantly shorter wait times for clinical consultation (2.6 vs. 4 hours, p=0.002). There were no differences in waiting times for writing orders or death rates between the groups (p=0.9 and p=0.7, respectively). Medication usage also showed no significant variance. Remote healthcare offers benefits like long-term cost-effectiveness, reduced healthcare facility strain, shorter outpatient clinic wait times, and minimized exposure risks during pandemics like COVID-19.