• Nicholas M Mohr, Uche Okoro, Karisa K Harland, Brian M Fuller, Kalyn Campbell, Morgan B Swanson, Cole Wymore, Brett Faine, Anne Zepeski, Edith A Parker, Luke Mack, Amanda Bell, Katie DeJong, Keith Mueller, Elizabeth Chrischilles, Christopher R Carpenter, Kelli Wallace, Michael P Jones, and Marcia M Ward.
• Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA; Division of Critical Care, Department of Anesthesia, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA; Department of Epidemiology, University of Iowa College of Public Health, Iowa City, IA. Electronic address: nicholas-mohr@uiowa.edu.
• Ann Emerg Med. 2023 Jan 1; 81 (1): 1131-13.

Study ObjectiveTo test the hypothesis that provider-to-provider tele-emergency department care is associated with more 28-day hospital-free days and improved Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) guideline adherence in rural emergency departments (EDs).MethodsMulticenter (n=23), propensity-matched, cohort study using medical records of patients with sepsis from rural hospitals in an established, on-demand, rural video tele-ED network in the upper Midwest between August 2016 and June 2019. The primary outcome was 28-day hospital-free days, with secondary outcomes of 28-day inhospital mortality and SSC guideline adherence.ResultsA total of 1,191 patients were included in the analysis, with tele-ED used for 326 (27%). Tele-ED cases were more likely to be transferred to another hospital (88% versus 8%, difference 79%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 75% to 83%). After matching and regression adjustment, tele-ED cases did not have more 28-day hospital-free days (difference 0.07 days more for tele-ED, 95% CI -0.04 to 0.17) or 28-day inhospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.51, 95% CI 0.16 to 1.60). Adherence with both the SSC 3-hour bundle (aOR 0.59, 95% CI 0.28 to 1.22) and complete bundle (aOR 0.45, 95% CI 0.02 to 11.60) were similar. An a priori-defined subgroup of patients treated by advanced practice providers suggested that the mortality was lower in the cohort with tele-ED use (aOR 0.11, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.73) despite no significant difference in complete SSC bundle adherence (aOR 2.88, 95% CI 0.52 to 15.86).ConclusionRural emergency department patients treated with provider-to-provider tele-ED care in a mature network appear to have similar clinical outcomes to those treated without.Copyright © 2022 American College of Emergency Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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