How using telemedicine in the ER can reduce wait times and patient length of stay

WHAT: Telemedicine has become more common given the current global pandemic. COVID-19 has limited doctor’s office and hospital visits to ensure safety for everyone. But rather than diminish the quality of care, new research in the INFORMS journal Information Systems Research finds that increasing wider use of telemedicine in the emergency room (ER) can yield positive results for patients and providers alike. 

WHO:  Susan F. Lu is the Gerald Lyles Rising Star Associate Professor of Management at the Purdue University Krannert School of Management. She also is an affiliated faculty of health care engineering at the Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering. Applying both empirical and machine learning methodologies, she investigates the operational drivers of health care delivery performance to understand the impact of public policies and technological innovations on the management of healthcare operations.

QUOTE: “The current pandemic has shown hospitals the great promise of telemedicine application, and hopefully the unexpected enrollment of such policies alongside this research can help get the process underway to help more health care facilities utilize this technology in ERs and elsewhere. Policymakers can play a role as well by reducing regulatory barriers that inhibit more expansive use of telemedicine and by creating incentives that encourage hospitals to more broadly adopt telemedicine in emergency rooms.”