COVID-19 Virtual Care

Due to the extremely limited supply of testing kits and the highly infectious nature of COVID-19, medical providers are virtually diagnosing the virus through symptoms. M Health Fairview has implemented a virtual platform - GetWell Loop - to remotely monitor patients diagnosed with presumptive COVID-19.
 
Patients enrolled in GetWell Loop receive daily electronic surveys asking them to report their symptoms and their temperature. Healthcare providers are alerted if patients report concerning symptoms and call the patients to assess their situation and determine next steps, such as continued monitoring or referral for evaluation. Providers will have simultaneous access to the patients’ electronic health record where they can document their patients’ management plan.
 
Led by Pita Adam, MD, MSPH, associate professor of Family Medicine and Community Health, researchers will use the GetWell Loop Database to:

• define the natural course of presumptive COVID-19 and understand risk factors for poor outcomes
• study the usability of a virtual platform for managing a pandemic

“We also hope to offer patients in Get Well Loop future confirmatory antibody testing so we can explore the accuracy of our clinical diagnosis and the utility of laboratory confirmation in the management of symptomatic populations," said Adam.

This project is supported by the UMN Campus Public Health Officer's Rapid Response Research Grants program, which support University of Minnesota faculty to catalyze and energize small-scale research projects designed to address and mitigate the COVID-19 virus and its associated risks.