Telehealth continues to become an important and trusted resource for community hospitals seeking consistent and better access to infectious diseases (ID) specialty care. In the following peer reviewed journal article published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases, Nupur Gupta, DO, MPH and team explore outcomes at three hospitals before and after switching from in-person to telemedicine ID consults.
The article also addresses:
- Current infectious diseases and infection challenges facing community and rural hospitals.
- Steps needed to implement telehealth services at community hospitals with prior in-person ID care.
- How telehealth can improve outcomes in a community hospital, including:
- Reduced length of stay (LOS), readmissions, and mortality
- Improved patient satisfaction in both inpatient and outpatient settings
- Why tele-ID can be an effective alternative to in-person infectious disease consultation in areas where in-person ID expertise is not available.