MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020 Oct 30;69(43):1595-1599. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6943a3.
In February 2020, CDC issued guidance advising persons and health care providers in areas affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic to adopt social distancing practices, specifically recommending that health care facilities and providers offer clinical services through virtual means such as telehealth.* Telehealth is the use of two-way telecommunications technologies to provide clinical health care through a variety of remote methods. To examine changes in the frequency of use of telehealth services during the early pandemic period, CDC analyzed deidentified encounter (i.e., visit) data from four of the largest U.S. telehealth providers that offer services in all states. Trends in telehealth encounters during January-March 2020 (surveillance weeks 1-13) were compared with encounters occurring during the same weeks in 2019. During the first quarter of 2020, the number of telehealth visits increased by 50%, compared with the same period in 2019, with a 154% increase in visits noted in surveillance week 13 in 2020, compared with the same period in 2019. During January-March 2020, most encounters were from patients seeking care for conditions other than COVID-19. However, the proportion of COVID-19-related encounters significantly increased (from 5.5% to 16.2%; p<0.05) during the last 3 weeks of March 2020 (surveillance weeks 11-13). This marked shift in practice patterns has implications for immediate response efforts and longer-term population health. Continuing telehealth policy changes and regulatory waivers might provide increased access to acute, chronic, primary, and specialty care during and after the pandemic.
2020 年 2 月，疾病预防控制中心发布了指导意见，建议受 2019 年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行影响地区的个人和医疗保健提供者采取社会隔离措施，特别是建议医疗保健机构和提供者通过远程医疗等虚拟方式提供临床服务。远程医疗是指使用双向电信技术，通过各种远程方式提供临床医疗保健。为了研究大流行早期远程医疗服务使用频率的变化，疾病预防控制中心分析了四家最大的美国远程医疗提供商的匿名就诊（即就诊）数据，这四家提供商在全美范围内提供服务。2020 年 1 月至 3 月（监测周 1-13）期间远程医疗就诊的趋势与 2019 年同期进行了比较。与 2019 年同期相比，2020 年第一季度远程医疗就诊次数增加了 50%，而在 2020 年监测周 13 时，就诊次数增加了 154%。在 2020 年 1 月至 3 月期间，大多数就诊是患者寻求治疗除 COVID-19 以外的疾病。然而，与 COVID-19 相关的就诊比例在 2020 年 3 月的最后 3 周（监测周 11-13）显著增加（从 5.5%增加到 16.2%；p<0.05）。这种实践模式的明显转变对当前的应对工作和长期的人口健康都有影响。在大流行期间和之后，持续的远程医疗政策变化和监管豁免可能会增加获得急性、慢性、初级和专科医疗保健的机会。
