Candlewood Valley Pediatrics Blog: COVID-19, Why Telemedicine?
Candlewood Valley Pediatrics Blog: COVID-19, Why Telemedicine?
3/22/2020
I would like to personally thank our pioneer patients who last week graciously and enthusiastically entered the world of telemedicine. In pretty quick fashion, CVP has established telemedicine visits to protect our most precious resources: our patients, their families, our staff, our nurses, our providers, and our community. From what CVP has learned thru our local hospitals and our public health departments are that children will do extremely well if infected with COVID-19. They also may just exhibit mild cold symptoms which makes determining if a child poses a risk to others near impossible. Hence, the launch of telemedicine.
It has been over 30 years since I started medical school. But, a few pearls of wisdom have remained with me for those 30 plus years. First, a pediatrician can determine which child is “sick” (needing an ICU or immediate intervention) or those who are “not sick” (ill but has time to figure things out) with in the first 30 seconds of entering a room (just by observing from a distance). Second, after gathering a good history from that patient, a physician should already know the diagnosis. The exam and any labs or studies are usually done to just confirm. Who knew they were paving the road for me in the Bronx for my future in telemedicine. Yes, I still would rather confirm a diagnosis but these are unusual times. So, do not be alarmed when I treat a strept throat, ear infection, or pneumonia via telemedicine. The harsh reality is that there is another precious resource I am trying to protect: PPE – personal protective equipment. Our office, and the community at-large, are in such short supply of PPE I am reserving those for that child I will need to listen to or examine. Rest assured, if your child is in need of an exam I will do it, but maybe just a little unorthodox; after I take a history by telemedicine (helping keep good social distancing and decrease exposure time), maybe even giving a little tincture of time to see how the symptoms pan out, and once I feel it is medically necessary for that child. I will gown up, glove up, and mask up meeting you either after hours (so we can thoroughly clean the office and protect others) or in the parking lot.
I thank you a head of time for being patient and helping protect your family, our families, and our community by accepting this new approach for the time being. The situation is constantly changing so this whole blog may be obsolete in a week. At present, it is the best way to safely take care of our patients and families while maintaining social distancing. Please, stay strong, stay safe, and stay apart to defeat COVID-19.
Thank You,
Dr. F
