What are the demands of telegeriatrics medical services for elderly patients during the COVID-19 pandemic
PurposeElderly patients are associated with a higher risk of nosocomial cross infection during the COVID-19 pandemic. Providing medical services and primary care for elderly patients is a worldwide challenge. A new telegeriatrics system was established to provide medical services and primary care fo...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.935684/full |
| _version_ | 1811345124648550400 |
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| author | Yu Gong Yu Gong Jianyuan Zhou |
| author_facet | Yu Gong Yu Gong Jianyuan Zhou |
| author_sort | Yu Gong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | PurposeElderly patients are associated with a higher risk of nosocomial cross infection during the COVID-19 pandemic. Providing medical services and primary care for elderly patients is a worldwide challenge. A new telegeriatrics system was established to provide medical services and primary care for elderly patients treated by family physicians. This study aimed to describe the operation mechanism of the new system and investigate the demands of telegeriatrics medical services for elderly patients treated by family physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsA total of 1,353 elderly patients (aged≥60) treated by family physicians were enrolled. The proportion of the top 10 diseases of elderly patients applying the new system was analyzed. Differences in main diseases between elderly patients applying telegeriatrics medical services and outpatients in hospitals were compared. Differences between the new telegeriatrics system in our study and telemedicine systems of other studies in other countries were analyzed.ResultsConstituent ratios of chronic kidney disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and coronary heart disease have the highest rate in elderly patients applying the new telegeriatrics system. Digestive diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and neurology diseases were the top three diseases of elderly outpatients.ConclusionThis is the first time that a new telegeriatrics system has been applied to provide medical services for elderly patients treated by family physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic. Chronic kidney disease, Type 2 diabetes mellitus, and coronary heart disease were found to be the top three diseases of elderly patients applying telegeriatrics medical services during the COVID-19 pandemic, which were different from the outpatients in general hospitals. The new telegeriatrics system guarantees elderly patients get equal rights to medical services. Results will provide a basis for the government health administrative department to formulate new telegeriatrics policies for elderly patients. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T19:58:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6925624b4fb24d828f0a3146ac9177de |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T19:58:21Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-6925624b4fb24d828f0a3146ac9177de2022-12-22T02:32:16ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652022-08-011010.3389/fpubh.2022.935684935684What are the demands of telegeriatrics medical services for elderly patients during the COVID-19 pandemicYu Gong0Yu Gong1Jianyuan Zhou2Department of Internal Medicine, Telemedicine Center, Shanghai Municipal Eighth People's Hospital, Shanghai, ChinaDepartment of Internal Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Shanghai Municipal Eighth People's Hospital, Shanghai, ChinaDepartment of Internal Medicine, Telemedicine Center, Shanghai Municipal Eighth People's Hospital, Shanghai, ChinaPurposeElderly patients are associated with a higher risk of nosocomial cross infection during the COVID-19 pandemic. Providing medical services and primary care for elderly patients is a worldwide challenge. A new telegeriatrics system was established to provide medical services and primary care for elderly patients treated by family physicians. This study aimed to describe the operation mechanism of the new system and investigate the demands of telegeriatrics medical services for elderly patients treated by family physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsA total of 1,353 elderly patients (aged≥60) treated by family physicians were enrolled. The proportion of the top 10 diseases of elderly patients applying the new system was analyzed. Differences in main diseases between elderly patients applying telegeriatrics medical services and outpatients in hospitals were compared. Differences between the new telegeriatrics system in our study and telemedicine systems of other studies in other countries were analyzed.ResultsConstituent ratios of chronic kidney disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and coronary heart disease have the highest rate in elderly patients applying the new telegeriatrics system. Digestive diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and neurology diseases were the top three diseases of elderly outpatients.ConclusionThis is the first time that a new telegeriatrics system has been applied to provide medical services for elderly patients treated by family physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic. Chronic kidney disease, Type 2 diabetes mellitus, and coronary heart disease were found to be the top three diseases of elderly patients applying telegeriatrics medical services during the COVID-19 pandemic, which were different from the outpatients in general hospitals. The new telegeriatrics system guarantees elderly patients get equal rights to medical services. Results will provide a basis for the government health administrative department to formulate new telegeriatrics policies for elderly patients.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.935684/fulltelegeriatricsmedical servicesfamily physicianselderly patientsCOVID-19 |
| spellingShingle | Yu Gong Yu Gong Jianyuan Zhou What are the demands of telegeriatrics medical services for elderly patients during the COVID-19 pandemic Frontiers in Public Health telegeriatrics medical services family physicians elderly patients COVID-19 |
| title | What are the demands of telegeriatrics medical services for elderly patients during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full | What are the demands of telegeriatrics medical services for elderly patients during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_fullStr | What are the demands of telegeriatrics medical services for elderly patients during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | What are the demands of telegeriatrics medical services for elderly patients during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_short | What are the demands of telegeriatrics medical services for elderly patients during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_sort | what are the demands of telegeriatrics medical services for elderly patients during the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | telegeriatrics medical services family physicians elderly patients COVID-19 |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.935684/full |
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