Diagnostic Accuracy Comparison Between Telemedicine and Face-to-face Consultations in Respiratory Infection Patients.

Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein

Status: Completed

Conditions: Respiratory Tract Infections

Treatments: Other: Face-to-face Consultation; Other: Telemedicine Consultation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04806477

34172720400000071

Details and patient eligibility

About

This is a randomized study that sought to analyze the diagnostic accuracy of the telemedicine consultation of patients suspected of respiratory tract infections during COVID-19 pandemic in comparison with the face-to-face evaluation at the emergency department.

Full description

Unicentric, prospective and randomized study performed between September and November 2020 with adult patients who sought care at emergency department. The inclusion criterion was the exhibition of any tract respiratory symptom. Patients older than 65 years, with chronic heart or lung diseases or immunosuppressed were excluded. Eligible patients were randomized 1:1 for a brief telemedicine consultation, blinded to subsequent face-to-face evaluation or direct face-to-face evaluation.

Enrollment: 98 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Patients with at least one acute symptom compatible with RTI (sore throat, nasal obstruction, coryza, new or growing cough, sputum, hoarseness, dyspnea) in presence or absence of symptoms related to the infection (fever ≥ 38oC, chills, sweating, myalgia) that motivated spontaneously face-to-face evaluation at the ED.

Exclusion criteria

• Patients with diagnosis of chronic respiratory diseases (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and interstitial lung disease)
• Patients with previous diagnosis of congestive heart failure,
• Patients with HIV / AIDS
• Patients with active cancer
• Patients with type I diabetes mellitus
• Patients in use of any immunosuppressant
• Patients with chronic cough
• Patiets that referral to emergency room after nursing triage.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Diagnostic

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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98 participants in 2 patient groups

Adult patients with respiratory tract symptom - telemedicine before face-to-face evaluation

Active Comparator group

Description:

We included adults (≥18 years of age) who had at least one acute symptom compatible with Respiratory Tract Infection (sore throat, nasal obstruction, coryza, new or growing cough, sputum, hoarseness, dyspnea) with or without symptoms related to the infection (fever ≥ 38oC, chills, sweating, myalgia) who have undergone telemedicine consultation before face-to-face evaluation

Treatment:

Other: Face-to-face Consultation

Other: Telemedicine Consultation

Adult patients with respiratory tract symptom - only face-to-face evaluation

Active Comparator group

Description:

We included adults (≥18 years of age) who had at least one acute symptom compatible with Respiratory Tract Infection (sore throat, nasal obstruction, coryza, new or growing cough, sputum, hoarseness, dyspnea) with or without symptoms related to the infection (fever ≥ 38oC, chills, sweating, myalgia) who have undergone only face-to-face evaluation

Treatment:

Other: Face-to-face Consultation