Authors (including presenting author) :
Lai ML(1), Chiu CWH(1),Leung SY(1),Leung MKW(1),Hui E(1)(2)
Affiliation :
(1)Department of Family Medicine,NTEC (2) Department of Medicine & Geriatrics of Shatin Hospital, NTEC
Introduction :
The Covid-19 pandemic has called off or interrupted many routine health care services. In response to the infection control requirements and the policies of gathering restriction, many services in primary health care that involve face-to-face interaction such as health education, smoking cessation, group interaction and counselling has been suspended or halted. Digital tools and strategies are recognized to be effective in helping health care workers to deliver health care services to our patients. The application of telecare such as phone consultation, Zoom education, video conferencing has become the “New Normal’ in the delivery of education, smoking cessation counselling (SCC), and also fever triage and training in Department of Family Medicine in NTEC.
Objectives :
1.To enhance infection control and allow adequate social distancing.
2.To deliver health care service in a safe environment
3.To minimize the disruption to health care service in adverse circumstances
4.To explore the potential to increase service capacity.
Methodology :
Methodology
The use of the telecare is applied in four areas: triage assessment; SCC, patient education and training.
1)Triage assessment: In usual practice, staff gowned up and performed the triage assessment. In the new arrangement, patients wait in the cohort area and staff complete the triage assessment by phone.
2)SCC in-patients’ recruitment: In peace time, smoking cessation counsellors recruit in-patient smokers in wards and deliver counselling at bedside. At Covid-19, counsellors received referrals from wards and deliver counselling via phone.
3)Health education including Risk Assessment and Management Class, the big class of 20 persons or above is broken down to small groups of three to four. Health education is delivered via Zoom and face-to face interaction with sufficient social distance is allowed.
4)Most of the training are delivered via Zoom in the presence of Covid-19. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation drill is carried out with designated number of staff and observers can participate the drill real time through Zoom in another rooms.
Result & Outcome :
Result & Outcome
(1)The use of telecare provides a mean to continue the delivery of health education, smoking cessation counselling, triage assessment and training in a safe distance.
(2)In triage assessment, staff can perform triage assessment in a safe zone and minimize direct contact of suspected infectious patients. In addition, personal protective equipment is saved for other high risk areas.
Conclusion
With the application of digital tools and strategies, primary health care service could be more resilient against adverse circumstances. The application of telecare, zoom become the “New Normal” in the delivery of some of the primary health care service.
