Pediatric Endocrinology in the Time of COVID-19: Considerations for the Rapid Implementation of Telemedicine and Management of Pediatric Endocrine Conditions

Molly O Regelmann; Rushika Conroy; Evgenia Gourgari; Anshu Gupta; Ines Guttmann-Bauman; Ryan Heksch; Manmohan K Kamboj; Sowmya Krishnan; Amit Lahoti; Kristal Matlock; PES Drug and Therapeutics Committee and Practice Management Committee

doi:10.1159/000513060

Pediatric Endocrinology in the Time of COVID-19: Considerations for the Rapid Implementation of Telemedicine and Management of Pediatric Endocrine Conditions

Horm Res Paediatr. 2020;93(6):343-350. doi: 10.1159/000513060. Epub 2021 Jan 22.

Affiliations

¹ Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Albert Einstein School of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA, moregelm@montefiore.org.
² Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Baystate Children's Hospital, Springfield, Massachusetts, USA.
³ Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
⁴ Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Children's Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA.
⁵ Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, OHSU (Oregon Health and Science University), Portland, Oregon, USA.
⁶ Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Akron Children's Hospital, Akron, Ohio, USA.
⁷ Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Nationwide Children's Hospital at The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
⁸ Division of Pediatric Diabetes and Endocrinology, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA.
⁹ Division of Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
¹⁰ Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.

Abstract

Background: Pediatric endocrine practices had to rapidly transition to telemedicine care at the onset of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. For many, it was an abrupt introduction to providing virtual healthcare, with concerns related to quality of patient care, patient privacy, productivity, and compensation, as workflows had to change.

Summary: The review summarizes the common adaptations for telemedicine during the pandemic with respect to the practice of pediatric endocrinology and discusses the benefits and potential barriers to telemedicine. Key Messages: With adjustments to practice, telemedicine has allowed providers to deliver care to their patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. The broader implementation of telemedicine in pediatric endocrinology practice has the potential for expanding patient access. Research assessing the impact of telemedicine on patient care outcomes in those with pediatric endocrinology conditions will be necessary to justify its continued use beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: Coronavirus disease 2019; Diabetes; Pediatric endocrinology; Telemedicine.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

COVID-19
Child
Diabetes Mellitus / therapy*
Endocrinology / trends*
Humans
Pandemics
Pediatrics / trends*
Telemedicine*