Telemedicine in COVID-19 Year – What have we Learned?

Telemedicine affords continued medical care while adhering to strict social distancing. Therefore, during COVID 19, health systems resorted to telemedicine, resulting in an exponential increase in its use. This contrasts with the previously slow adoption of the new practice. It is not clear whether the increased use of telemedicine will persist after the pandemic has resolved. We shall present the results of a European study on telemedicine. The goal of the study was to survey community pediatric care providers as to their experiences and clinical decision making with telemedicine modalities prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as their projected use after the pandemic ends. We surveyed pediatricians participating in ESPRASnet (The European Academy of Paediatrics Research in Ambulatory Setting Network) using a web-based questionnaire. The survey was performed during the COVID-19 pandemic (June-July 2020), assessed telemedicine use for several modalities, prior to and during the pandemic and assessed predicted use after the pandemic resolves. Participants were surveyed regarding general use as well as how they would manage 2 clinical scenarios. The study demonstrated an increased willingness of pediatricians to utilize telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a sustained affect that will promote telemedicine use after the pandemic resolves. The study and resulting implications will be discussed.