JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

For years, in Catalonia and in the rest of Spain, there has been a deficit and an unequal geographical distribution of health professionals specialised in paediatrics. Among the proposals to improve this situation is the promotion of the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) among users and professionals. Moreover, with the outbreak of COVID-19, the use of telemedicine has become an essential tool, with an overall increase in non-face-to-face visits, also to primary care (PC) paediatrics.

Objective:

The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of a videoconsultation process with physical examination in acute paediatric pathology in rural areas among PC professionals.

Methods:

This is a prospective study to analyse the possibility of using videoconsultation in paediatric acute care in PC in central Catalonia (Spain). A minimum of 200 children between the ages of 0 and 14 years who are treated for acute illnesses in the primary care center (PCC) will be included. Initially, the telematic visit including physical examination will take place between the nurse, who will be physically with the patient and the family, and the paediatrician, who will attend remotely. Subsequently, the paediatrician will visit the patient in person and compare the physical examination and diagnosis as well as the satisfaction of users and professionals.

Results:

Recruitment is scheduled to begin during the second half of 2023 and is expected to last for one year. It is expected that videoconsultation can be a good resource to apply in several cases of acute paediatric illnesses in PC.

Conclusions:

This study will provide evidence on the feasibility, diagnostic accuracy and satisfaction of videoconsultation in the PC paediatric acute care setting.