Telemedicine will not keep us apart in COVID-19 pandemic

• Published in: Annals of the rheumatic diseases Vol. 80; no. 4; p. e48
• Main Authors: Perniola, Simone, Alivernini, Stefano, Varriano, Valentina, Paglionico, Annamaria, Tanti, Giacomo, Rubortone, Pietro, Lanzo, Lucia, Melpignano, Fabrizio, Tur, Carlo, De Lorenzis, Enrico, Peluso, Giusy, Capacci, Annunziata, Gremese, Elisa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BMJ Publishing Group LTD 01.04.2021
• Subjects: Arthritis; Clinics; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Disease; Infections; Inflammation; Lupus; Pandemics; Patients; Rheumatology; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Telemedicine; Italy
• ISSN: 0003-4967; 1468-2060
• DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2020-218022

Telemedicine represents a useful tool not only in regions with limited access to healthcare2 but also in different settings like quarantine, when healthcare personnel became essential. Since the Italian National lockdown decision3 and the WHO announcement of the COVID-19 pandemic,4 enormous demand to handle the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection disease challenged the Italian healthcare system. [...]during the first phase, only the infusion clinic for patients with chronic inflammatory arthritis and CTDs was maintained to avoid treatment discontinuation. [...]an urgent clinic was activated and an official protocol for telemedicine practice was immediately implemented to screen urgent non-postponable appointments, to conduct a virtual consultation asking not to attend rheumatology service in person and still to reassure patients (figure 1). [...]thanks to the reduction of new COVID-19 cases and within national lockdown exit plan, our strategy will be to integrate and implement our active telemedicine protocol within the next clinical practice organisation.