• Meeta Shah, Keya Patel, Daniel Popa, Anthony Perry, Shayna Adams, Braden Hexom, Carter Neugarten, and Michael Gottlieb.
• Rush University Medical Center, Department of Emergency Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
• West J Emerg Med. 2021 Aug 19; 22 (5): 1028-1031.

IntroductionThe novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) created challenges with access to care including increased burden on healthcare systems and potential exposure risks for vulnerable patients. To address these needs, Rush University Medical Center created a virtual, urgent care program specifically designed to address these challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsThis was a retrospective study analyzing adult patients with COVID-19-related telemedicine visits performed between March 1-June 30, 2020. COVID-19-related telemedicine visits refer to those who used the "Concern for Coronavirus" module. We assessed the total number of telemedicine visits using this module, percentage with a subsequent emergency department (ED) visit within seven days, and outcomes (ie, hospitalization status, intubation, and death) of patients who presented to the ED for evaluation. Data are presented using descriptive statistics.ResultsA total of 2,974 adult patients accessed the program via the COVID-19 module over the four-month period. Of those, 142 patients (4.8%) had an ED visit within seven days. Only 14 patients (0.5%) required admission. One patient was intubated, and there were no deaths among the telemedicine population.ConclusionThe data suggests that telemedicine may be a safe and effective way to screen and treat patients with possible COVID-19, while reducing potential burdens on EDs.

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