JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

The global spread of the COVID-19 outbreak has posed a public health threat and has affected all of us in various unprecedented ways, personally and professionally. Several strategies have been implemented worldwide to limit the spread of the coronavirus infection, such as social (i.e. physical) distancing and local or national stay-at-home mandates. These strategies, though necessary, have led eventually to disruption, not only in our normal routine or daily life in different ways, but also significant financial challenges to our society and economy across almost all sectors, including healthcare. There is no question that the current global COVID-19 crisis, now more than ever, has underscored the importance of leveraging digital approaches to optimize pediatric healthcare delivery in the era of this pandemic. In this perspective piece, we highlight some of the available digital approaches that have been and can continue to be utilized to streamline remote pediatric patient care in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic including and beyond telemedicine alone. JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting (JPP) currently has a COVID-19 special theme issue for investigators to share their interim and final research data related to the digital approaches for remote pediatric healthcare delivery in different settings. The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly transformed healthcare systems worldwide with significant variations and innovations in adaptation. There has been rapid expansion leveraging and optimizing digital approaches for health care delivery, particularly integrated telemedicine or virtual health. Digital approaches have and will play a major role as an invaluable and reliable resource to overcome restrictions and challenges implied during the COVID-19 pandemic and to increase access to effective, accessible, and consumer-friendly care to more patients and families. Nevertheless, a number of challenges remain for optimizing and integrating digital approaches for healthcare delivery into the public health response to the current COVID-19 outbreak and other possible future pandemics. Regulatory changes are likely essential to support the safe and wide adoption of these approaches. Involving all relevant stakeholders in addressing ongoing and future challenges as well as logistical, technological, and financial barriers will be key for success.