WhatsApp Consultations in the Department of Electrophysiology of a Public Hospital of the City of Buenos Aires in Times of COVID-19

pp. 225-228

Authors

  • Fernando Di Tommaso Department of Cardiology , Hospital Rivadavia, Buenos Aires, Argentin https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0111-2923
  • Mario Fitz Maurice Departament of Cardiology, Hospital Rivadavia, Buenos Aires, Argentina https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2959-3543
  • Paula Sastre Departament of Cardiology, Hospital Rivadavia, Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • Alfredo Hirschson Prado Departament of Cardiology, Hospital Rivadavia, Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • Enrique Dominé Departament of Cardiology, Hospital Rivadavia, Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • Pablo Agüero Departament of Cardiology, Hospital Rivadavia, Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • Adrián Baranchuk Division of Cardiology, Kingston Health Science Center. Kingston, Ontario, Canada https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3042-6569

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7775/rac.es.v88.i3.17976

Keywords:

Coronavirus Infections - COVID-19- Telemedicine - Mobile Applications - Remote Consultation

Abstract

Background: Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is highly infectious. Telemedicine emerges as an option to keep patients within the healthcare system.


Objective: The aim of this study was to implement WhatsApp consultations during 30 days in a hospital of the City of Buenos Aires (CABA) during the lockdown imposed due to COVID-19.


Methods: Consultations via WhatsApp were analyzed for 30 consecutive days. A form was sent prior to telephone consultation with the specialist. A descriptive analysis of consultations and proposed follow-up plans was carried out.


Results: A total of 263 consultations were performed in 205 patients. The average number of telephone consultations was 7.8 messages. The most common topics for consultation were palpitations (12%) and influenza vaccine (11.7%). Follow-up was divided into groups: 1) Solved via WhatsApp: 154 patients; 2) Referred to a local hospital: 25; 3) Referred to our hospital: 26 patients.


Conclusion: Telemedicine via WhatsApp can be developed in public hospitals of CABA, with a substantial reduction of in-person consultations.

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Published

2025-04-23

Issue

Rev Argent Cardiol 2020 Vol. 88 Nro. 3

Section

BRIEF ARTICLES

License

Copyright (c) 2020 Argentine Journal of Cardiology

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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