References

Zhou F, Yu T, Du R Clinical course and risk factors for mortality of adult inpatients with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China: a retrospective cohort study. The Lancet. 2020; 395:(10229)1054-1062 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30566-3

Lu R, Zhao X, Li J Genomic characterization and epidemiology of 2019 novel coronavirus: implications for virus origins and receptor binding. The Lancet. 2020; 395:(10224)565-574 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30251-8

World Health Organization declares COVID-19 a ‘Pandemic’ here's what that means. tinyurl.com/n7bwil8b (accessed 3 February 2021)

Qian GQ, Yang NB, Ding F Epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of 91 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in Zhejiang, China: a retrospective, multi-center case series. QJM: An International Journal of Medicine. 2020; 113:(7)474-481 https://doi.org/10.1093/qjmed/hcaa089

World Health Organization. Weekly epidemiological update – 2 February 2021. https://tinyurl.com/15rk15ig (accessed 3 February 2021)

How Italy spiraled from a perfectly healthy country to near collapse in 24 days as the coronavirus took hold. tinyurl.com/1q4be5sz (accessed 3 February 2021)

Ranney ML, Griffeth V, Jha AK. Critical supply shortages – the need for ventilators and personal protective equipment during the Covid-19 pandemic. N Engl J Med. 2020; 382:(18) https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMp2006141

New York State. New York State on PAUSE. tinyurl.com/47u8thdl (accessed 3 February 2021)

California Department of Public Health. COVID-19 updates. tinyurl.com/yrlqtznd (accessed 3 February 2021)

American College of Surgeons. COVID-19: Recommendations for management of elective surgical procedures. tinyurl.com/ylh73gsf (accessed 3 February 2021)

U.S. advises hospitals to limit ‘non-essential’ elective care. tinyurl.com/4n8z8vwz (accessed 3 February 2021)

Blanchette V, Brousseau-Foley M, Cloutier L. Effect of contact with podiatry in a team approach context on diabetic foot ulcer and lower extremity amputation: systematic review and meta-analysis. J Foot Ankle Res. 2020; 13:(1) https://doi.org/10.1186/s13047-020-0380-8

Toe and flow: essential components and structure of the amputation prevention team. 2010. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20804929

Rogers LC, Lavery LA, Joseph WS, Armstrong DG. All feet on deck – the role of podiatry during the COVID-19 pandemic: preventing hospitalization in an overburdened healthcare system, reducing amputation and death in people with diabetes. J Am Podiatr Med Assoc. 2020; https://doi.org/10.7547/20-051

Emami A, Javanmardi F, Pirbonyeh N, Akbari A. Prevalence of underlying diseases in hospitalized patients with COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Arch Acad Emerg Med. 2020; 8:(1)

Guan W, Liang W, Zhao Y Comorbidity and its impact on 1590 patients with Covid-19 in China: a nationwide analysis. Eur Respir J. 2020; 55:(5) https://doi.org/10.1183/13993003.00547–2020

COVID-19: protecting health-care workers.: Lancet; 2020 https://doi.org/10.1016/S01406736(20)30644-9

Carter MJ, Fife CE. Clinic visit frequency in wound care matters: data from the US wound registry. J Wound Care. 2017; 26:S4-S10 https://doi.org/10.12968/jowc.2017.26.sup1.s4

Warriner RA, Wilcox JR, Carter MJ, Stewart DG. More frequent visits to wound care clinics result in faster times to close diabetic foot and venous leg ulcers. Adv Skin Wound Care. 2012; 25:(11)494-501 https://doi.org/10.1097/01.ASW.0000422629.03053.06

Wilcox JR, Carter MJ, Covington S. Frequency of debridements and time to heal: a retrospective cohort study of 312744 wounds. JAMA Dermatol. 2013; 149:(9)1050-1058 https://doi.org/10.1001/jamadermatol.2013.4960

Kim HS. A randomized controlled trial of a nurse short-message service by cellular phone for people with diabetes. Int J Nurs Stud. 2007; 44:(5)687-692 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2006.01.011

Ohannessian R, Duong TA, Odone A. Global tele-medicine implementation and integration within health system to fight the COVID-19 pandemic: a call to action. JMIR Public Health Surveill. 2020; 6:(2) https://doi.org/10.2196/18810

Tchero H, Noubou L, Becsangele B Telemedicine in diabetic foot care: a systemic literature review of interventions and meta-analysis of controlled trials. Int J Low Extrem Wounds. 2017; 16:(4)274-283 https://doi.org/10.1177/1534734617739195

Wilbright WA, Birke JA, Patout CA The use of telemedicine in the management of diabetes related foot ulceration: a pilot study. Adv Skin Wound Care. 2004; 17:(5 Pt 1)232-238 https://doi.org/10.1097/00129334200406000-00012

Rasmussen BS, Froekjaer J, Bjerregaard MR A randomized controlled trial comparing telemedical and standard outpatient monitoring of diabetic foot ulcers. Diabetes Care. 2015; 38:(9)1723-1729 https://doi.org/10.2337/dc15-0332

Kim HM, Lowery JC, Hamill JB, Wilkins EG. Patient attitudes toward a webbased system for monitoring chronic wounds. Telemed J E Health. 2004; 10:S-26-S-34

Edmondson M, Prentice J, Fielder K, Mulligan S. Wounds West advisory service pilot: an innovative delivery of wound management. Wound Pract Res. 2010; 18:(4)180-182

Dobke MK, Bhavsar D, Gosman A Pilot trial of telemedicine as a decision aid for patients with chronic wounds. Telemed J E Health. 2008; 1:(3)245-249 https://doi.org/10.1089/tmj.2007.0038

Ohannessian R. Telemedicine: potential applications in epidemic situations. European Research in Telemedicine/La Recherche Européenne en Télémédecine. 2015; 4:(3)95-98

CMS.gov. Medicare telemedicine health care provider fact sheet. tinyurl.com/1wkzqoku (accessed 3 February 2021)

CMS.gov. COVID-19 emergency declaration blanket waivers for health care providers. tinyurl.com/1eh7bzc2 (accessed 3 February 2021)

Federation of State Medical Boards. U.S. states and territories modifying licensure requirements/renewals for physicians in response to COVID-19. tinyurl.com/yo74sfjj (accessed 3 February 2021)

American Medical Assocaition. Telehealth implementation playbook. tinyurl.com/o8kwhz88 (accessed 3 February 2021)

COVID-19: issues related to wound care and telehealth management. https://tinyurl.com/6lrgi3uc (accessed 3 February 2021)

Leg ulcers

Wound care during the covid-19 pandemic: improving outcomes through the integration of telemedicine

02 February 2021
COVID-19 Update
02 February 2021
Volume 5 · Issue 1

Abstract

COVID-19 is highly contagious and its rapid spread burdens the healthcare system. As the number of confirmed cases goes up, the shortage of medical resources has become a challenge. To avoid the collapse of the healthcare system during the fight with COVID-19, all healthcare workers, including wound care practitioners, should adapt to new roles and use any appropriate methods available to slow the spread of the virus. Integrating telemedicine into wound care during the outbreak helps maintain social distancing, preserve personal protective equipment and medical resources, and eliminate unnecessary exposure for both vulnerable patients and high-risk healthcare workers.

At the end of 2019, an outbreak of pneumonia caused by a novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was identified in Wuhan, China.1,2 WHO announced the disease as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which rapidly progressed from a public health emergency of international concern to a pandemic event.3

COVID-19 is highly contagious and spreads through human-to-human transmission with a relatively long incubation period (median time of six days).4 During the incubation period, the carriers are asymptomatic and can infect other people without knowing it.4 Since the beginning of the pandemic, there have been over 102.1 million reported cases of COVID-19 and over 2.2 million deaths globally.5

This pandemic is a global threat which puts tremendous stress on healthcare systems. Italy is facing a shortage of PPE and healthcare workers, a lack of intensive care unit (ICU) beds and ventilators, and doctors and nurses have been instructed to triage patients for ICU treatments based on chances of survival.6 Even in the US, palliative care liberalisation is occurring to make ICU beds more available. Other regions have seen similar issues as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to increase worldwide.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Wound Central and reading some of our peer-reviewed resources for wound care professionals. To read more, please register today. You’ll enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included

  • Access to clinical or professional articles

  • New content and clinical updates each month

Register
Or continue by

Signing in with your registered email address

coronavirus
COVID-19
pandemic
severe acute respiratory syndrome
telemedicine
wound
wound care