May 13, 2020

On the Front (Phone) Lines Results of a COVID-19 Hotline in Northeast Ohio

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Public Health Policy and Practice

• Margolius et al. examine the effectiveness of a physician telehealth visits during the first five weeks of a 24/7 physician-staffed COVID-19 hotline in Northeast Ohio. Of 4,213 calls referred for a physician telehealth visit, most (79%) were advised to self-isolate at home, 14% were determined to be unlikely to have COVID-19, and 3% were advised to seek emergency care. A total of 287 (7%) patients had a subsequent ED visit, and 44 (1%) were hospitalized with a COVID-19 diagnosis.  
• Robust, physician-directed telehealth services can meet a wide range of needs during the acute phase of a pandemic, conserving scarce resources and preventing the spread of infections to patients and health care workers. 

Margolius et al. (May 13, 2020). On the Front (Phone) Lines Results of a COVID-19 Hotline in Northeast Ohio. Pre-print downloaded May 13 from https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.05.08.20095745