Case Studies
MOBILIZING TELEMEDICINE
Cleveland Clinic: Mobilizing Telemedicine for Proactive T2D and Other Chronic Disease Management
The Cleveland Clinic utilized existing telemedicine and shared medical appointment (SMA) capabilities to prioritize the safety of patients with diabetes and obesity and to enhance patient and provider comfort via virtual healthcare.
Cleveland Clinic needed to ensure patient and provider safety and continuity of care for patients with diabetes at high risk for COVID-19 within the Endocrinology and Metabolism Institute (EMI).
Outpatient visits: telemedicine + SMA
- Offered to 80% of patients age 60+ with HbA1c levels >9% seen in the past year and who needed a follow-up visit
Inpatient visits: virtual alternatives
- Offered to patients hospitalized for non-COVID-19 related illnesses
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Virtual face-to-face visits
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Phone consults with the patient, facilitated by hospital staff
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Peer-to-peer e-consult without the patient
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Within days
- Converted to virtual visits using existing technology and methods
- Minimized unnecessary contact, spread of infection, and use of PPE
Within ~6 weeks
- 90% of patient visits and 100% of SMAs were virtual
- Increased provider confidence in telemedicine to effectively manage chronic disease
- Increased patient satisfaction with the convenience and safety of virtual visits
- Shorter virtual visits and the ability to work from home gave staff better quality of life
For more information, visit Cleveland Clinic
PPE=personal protective equipment; T2D=type 2 diabetes.
Endocrinologists convert to telemedicine virtually overnight during COVID-19 pandemic. Cleveland Clinic Website. https://consultqd.clevelandclinic.org/endocrinologists-convert-to-telemedicine-virtually-overnight-during-covid-19-pandemic/. Published April 22, 2020. Accessed August 21, 2020.