1. The Coronaid Program: An App-Based Telemedicine Tool for Triaging, Testing, Treating and Monitoring COVID-19 Patients in Mexico
- Author
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Yasshid León-Mayorga, Edgar Nuñez-García, Dan Morgenstern-Kaplan, Sofía Jimena Canales-Albarrán, and Andrea Rocha-Haro
- Subjects
mexico ,Telemedicine ,Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,business.industry ,telehealth ,General Engineering ,remote care ,Infectious Disease ,Healthcare Technology ,medicine.disease ,video-consultation ,covid-19 ,Epidemiology/Public Health ,medicine ,e-health ,Medical emergency ,telemedicine ,business - Abstract
Objective: To describe the results of a Mexican telemedicine program for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: An observational retrospective study was conducted to analyze and describe the baseline demographic and clinical characteristics of patients who received medical video consultations for respiratory symptoms. Results: A total of 1,148 video consultations were given from March to September 2020 via Sofía's mobile app. A total of 580 patients sought medical consultation regarding respiratory symptoms. Of the patients, 51% were male and the mean age was 36 years (SD = 13). Of the patients, 35% had comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity, and 1.2% were sent to the ED. Fifty-seven polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for COVID-19 were requested and we detected a 53% positivity rate with a mean follow-up of 4.6 consultations. Conclusion: Telemedicine has proven to be a safe and effective tool for triaging, testing, treating, and remote monitoring of patients with mild COVID-19. Patients triaged by Sofía had good overall outcomes and reduced the risks of in-person consultation in the pandemic.
- Published
- 2021