SECTION SHORT ANSWER
Advances and Answers in Pediatric Health
Expanding Care Connections
GASTROENTEROLOGY
Children ’ s Hospital Colorado , Colorado Springs , is located 60 miles from Denver — far enough for practitioners to feel the strain of being a regional hospital in a less populated area . Since opening in 2019 , the five gastroenterology ( GI ) specialists at this location struggled to serve all their local patients in a timely manner without overextending themselves , and winter weather created transportation barriers for providers located outside of Colorado Springs .
To mitigate these challenges , gastroenterology physicians at Children ’ s Colorado launched a study to evaluate the efficacy and longevity of a pediatric GI consult service conducted via telehealth . The researchers hypothesized that virtual consultation services could reduce burnout among physicians in the Colorado Springs area by allowing local patients to receive care from the larger , more resourced gastroenterology team in Denver .
Participating providers included four Denver-based physicians who saw patients remotely and five in Colorado Springs who saw patients in person . Two additional Colorado Springs-based physician assistants supported both models . Between July 2020 and June 2021 , patients requesting GI care at the Colorado Springs hospital were randomly assigned to either an in-person or a telehealth visit . Physicians in Denver and Colorado Springs communicated closely during the study , participating in an intensive virtual rounding process that standardized care for all patients .
Of the 348 patients who received care during this time , 17 % were seen via telehealth and the rest were seen in person . No differences were noted between diagnosis , transfer or readmission rates between the two groups . Patients and families had positive reactions to the telehealth appointments , with no negative reports . Additionally , GI physicians in Colorado Springs reported higher resiliency scores , as they shifted 20 % of inpatient calls to Denver providers .
The study ’ s authors concluded that their virtual care model was well-accepted , useful and sustainable . “ Telehealth holds promise for leveraging pediatric subspecialty physicians across hospitals ,” the authors wrote , “ allowing complex patients to be admitted closer to home while reducing inpatient coverage requirements for smaller physician groups .” •
1 . Waasdorp Hurtado , Christine et al . “ Telehealth Coverage for a Pediatric Gastroenterology Consult Service at a Regional Hospital : An Accepted , Useful and Sustainable Model of Care .” The Journal of pediatrics , S0022- 3476 ( 23 ) 00052-5 . 1 Feb . 2023 , doi : 10.1016 / j . jpeds . 2023.01.015 .
CHRISTINE WAASDORP HURTADO , MD
Pediatric gastroenterology , Children ’ s Hospital Colorado
Associate professor , Pediatrics-Gastroenterology , Hepatology and Nutrition , University of Colorado School of Medicine
Southern Colorado Executive Faculty Director for the Department of Pediatrics , University of Colorado School of Medicine
CHRISTINA OLSON , MD
Telehealth Medical Director , Children ’ s Hospital Colorado
Associate professor , Pediatrics-Pediatric Hospital Medicine , University of Colorado School of Medicine
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