BACKGROUND
Importance: Positive patient experiences are associated with illness recovery and adherence to medication. The shift toward virtual visits creates a need to understand the opportunities and challenges in providing a patient experience that is at least as positive as in-person visits.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the virtual care experience for patients with Covid-19 as their chief complaints.
METHODS
We conducted a cross-sectional study of the first cohort of patients with Covid-19 concerns in a virtual clinic. We collected data on all virtual visits between March 20-29, 2020.
Outcomes: The main endpoints of this study were patient diagnosis, prescriptions received, referrals, wait time and duration, and satisfaction. The secondary outcome was the reported choice of alternative care options.
RESULTS
Of the 358 total virtual visits, 42 patients marked “Covid-19 Concern” as their chief complaint. Of those patients, 23 (54.8%) female patients, the average age of patients was 33.9 years, and 41 (97.7%) patients were seeking care for themselves and one (3.3%) visit was for a dependent. For all virtual visits, the average wait time (SD) was 157.2 (181.7) minutes and the average wait time (SD) for Covid-19 Concern visits was 177.4 (186.5) minutes. Covid-19 Concern phone visits had an average wait time (SD) of 180.1 (187.2), compared to 63.4 (34.4) minutes for Covid-19 Concern video visits. Thirteen (65%) patients rated their provider as “Excellent” with similar proportions among phone (64.3%) and video (66.7%).
CONCLUSIONS
This study evaluated the virtual experiences of patients with Covid-19 concerns. There were different experiences for patients depending on their choice of communication. Long wait times were a major drawback in the patient experience. We have learned from evaluating the experience of our first cohort of Covid-19 Concern patients.
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