Telemedicine Applications in a Tertiary Pediatric Hospital in Turkey During COVID-19 Pandemic
Sezin Aydemir, Süheyla Ocak, Seha Saygılı, Duhan Hopurcuoğlu, Fatih Haşlak, Ertuğrul Kıykım, Ayşe Çiğdem Aktuğlu Zeybek, Tiraje Çelkan, Ebru Burcu Demirgan, Özgür Kasapçopur, Haluk Çokuğraş, Ayça Kıykım, Nur Canpolat
Abstract
Background: A novel type of Coronavirus emerged at Wuhan in late 2019 involving preferentially the respiratory system. Owing to the rapid spread, almost 22 million people became infected and 700,000 died. Similar to other countries, the need for additional hospital beds and intensive care units required diversion of health care resources toward the care for those with COVID-19 in Turkey. Telemedicine appeared as a safe and low-cost alternative for the maintainability of pediatric health services during the pandemics. Within this context, we aimed to deliver the health services through telemedicine during the follow-up of chronic childhood diseases.