Rising to the Challenges of COVID-19 Through Telehealth
Nearly 5,500 patients received safe, expedited care in the Stanford Hospital COVID-19 drive-through testing area. The model paved the way for additional advances in virtual emergency care.
Drive-Thru COVID-19 Testing
One of Stanford’s first steps toward virtual emergency care was to establish a drive-through alternative care site for COVID-19 testing in 2020, supported by a remote emergency medicine physician. Patients drove into the garage adjacent to Stanford’s Marc and Laura Andreessen Adult Emergency Department (ED) and registered for their visit through their phones. ED nurses in personal protective equipment measured their temperature, oxygen saturation, and pulse, and swabbed them for COVID-19. A laboratory runner retrieved specimens from the drive-through site every 15 minutes.
A telemedicine platform on wheels was then positioned near the patient’s car and an emergency medicine physician stationed in the hospital initiated a remote assessment and discussion with the patient via video. The physicians utilized streamlined charting tools that enabled them to see as many as 100 patients in a single shift while minimizing exposure to COVID-19. Nearly 5,500 patients received safe, expedited care in the drive-through area.
Ipads in Stanford EM connect patients and physicians virtually, conserving PPE while improving care.
Enhancing Care Through iPads
Through 120 iPads mounted at eye level in patient rooms at Stanford Hospital's Marc and Laura Andreessen Emergency Department, physicians and nurses provide supplemental, virtual care, calling into patient rooms to gather history, provide updates, and conduct physical assessments.
Specialists, interpreters, and some consultants use the system to meet with patients remotely, and the iPads have been used to allow patients to meet virtually with family, view informational videos, and consent to participate in clinical research.
The innovation was developed and implemented in just eight days in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic when personal protective equipment was in short supply.
Spring 2022