Evaluation of Tele-rheumatology during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Asian Population: A Pilot Study
Objective. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune condition associated with a potential for deformities. It is one of the common conditions to seek health care. Hence, the present study was conducted to assess the telemedicine services for patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis duri...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2021-01-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Telemedicine and Applications |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/5558826 |
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| author | Amit Sandhu Amit Agarwal Paramvir Kaur Meenakshi Sharma Harnoor Sra Manvi Singh Nishant Jaiswal Anil Chauhan Anju Gupta Meenu Singh |
| author_facet | Amit Sandhu Amit Agarwal Paramvir Kaur Meenakshi Sharma Harnoor Sra Manvi Singh Nishant Jaiswal Anil Chauhan Anju Gupta Meenu Singh |
| author_sort | Amit Sandhu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune condition associated with a potential for deformities. It is one of the common conditions to seek health care. Hence, the present study was conducted to assess the telemedicine services for patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis during the COVID-19 pandemic in an Asian Indian population. Methods. A prospective study was conducted (March 2020–June 2020) in the telemedicine department of a premier northern Indian tertiary care institution. Out of the total patients enrolled (N=7577) in telemedicine services, 122 rheumatoid arthritis patients (1.6%) were followed for 1 month to assess change in functional status by modified Health Assessment Questionnaire (mHAQ). Telephonic interviews of the enrolled patients were conducted to determine the level of understanding of advice given by consultants, barriers during the consultation, and satisfaction with teleconsultations for rheumatology clinics. Results. For the native people, language of the clinicians was the main barrier (20%) in telerheumatology. Saving of time and money was observed as beneficial factors for patients. More than three-quarters of all rheumatoid arthritis patients were ready to use teleconsultation in the near future. A similar proportion of patients were in support for the recommendation of these services to other persons. Conclusion. We report the successful use of telemedicine services in the evaluation and management of rheumatic diseases in the current COVID-19 pandemic situation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f1abf8e9b2704e07b292c7dbc90eccae |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1687-6415 1687-6423 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Telemedicine and Applications |
| spelling | doaj-art-f1abf8e9b2704e07b292c7dbc90eccae2025-02-03T01:25:12ZengWileyInternational Journal of Telemedicine and Applications1687-64151687-64232021-01-01202110.1155/2021/55588265558826Evaluation of Tele-rheumatology during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Asian Population: A Pilot StudyAmit Sandhu0Amit Agarwal1Paramvir Kaur2Meenakshi Sharma3Harnoor Sra4Manvi Singh5Nishant Jaiswal6Anil Chauhan7Anju Gupta8Meenu Singh9Department of Pediatrics, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, IndiaDepartment of Telemedicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, IndiaDepartment of Community Medicine and School of Public Health, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, IndiaDepartment of Community Medicine and School of Public Health, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, IndiaDepartment of Pediatrics, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, IndiaDepartment of Pediatrics, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, IndiaDepartment of Telemedicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, IndiaDepartment of Telemedicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, IndiaDepartment of Pediatrics, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, IndiaDepartment of Pediatrics, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, IndiaObjective. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune condition associated with a potential for deformities. It is one of the common conditions to seek health care. Hence, the present study was conducted to assess the telemedicine services for patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis during the COVID-19 pandemic in an Asian Indian population. Methods. A prospective study was conducted (March 2020–June 2020) in the telemedicine department of a premier northern Indian tertiary care institution. Out of the total patients enrolled (N=7577) in telemedicine services, 122 rheumatoid arthritis patients (1.6%) were followed for 1 month to assess change in functional status by modified Health Assessment Questionnaire (mHAQ). Telephonic interviews of the enrolled patients were conducted to determine the level of understanding of advice given by consultants, barriers during the consultation, and satisfaction with teleconsultations for rheumatology clinics. Results. For the native people, language of the clinicians was the main barrier (20%) in telerheumatology. Saving of time and money was observed as beneficial factors for patients. More than three-quarters of all rheumatoid arthritis patients were ready to use teleconsultation in the near future. A similar proportion of patients were in support for the recommendation of these services to other persons. Conclusion. We report the successful use of telemedicine services in the evaluation and management of rheumatic diseases in the current COVID-19 pandemic situation.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/5558826 |
| spellingShingle | Amit Sandhu Amit Agarwal Paramvir Kaur Meenakshi Sharma Harnoor Sra Manvi Singh Nishant Jaiswal Anil Chauhan Anju Gupta Meenu Singh Evaluation of Tele-rheumatology during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Asian Population: A Pilot Study International Journal of Telemedicine and Applications |
| title | Evaluation of Tele-rheumatology during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Asian Population: A Pilot Study |
| title_full | Evaluation of Tele-rheumatology during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Asian Population: A Pilot Study |
| title_fullStr | Evaluation of Tele-rheumatology during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Asian Population: A Pilot Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluation of Tele-rheumatology during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Asian Population: A Pilot Study |
| title_short | Evaluation of Tele-rheumatology during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Asian Population: A Pilot Study |
| title_sort | evaluation of tele rheumatology during the covid 19 pandemic in asian population a pilot study |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/5558826 |
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