Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Jul 21, 2020
Date Accepted: Nov 30, 2020
Date Submitted to PubMed: Dec 1, 2020
Telehealth and Cost-effectiveness Analysis at a Centralized COVID-19 Quarantine Center in Taiwan: A Cohort Study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Telehealth has been recommended for monitoring the progression of non-severe infections in patients with the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19). However, telehealth has not been widely implemented in monitoring severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in quarantined individuals. Moreover, studies on the cost-effectiveness of the COVID-19 quarantine are scarce.
Objective:
This cohort study aimed to use telehealth to monitor COVID-19 infections in 217 quarantined Taiwanese travelers and analyze the cost-effectiveness of the quarantine.
Methods:
Travelers were quarantined for 14 days at the Taiwan Yangmingshan quarantine center and monitored until they were discharged. Travelers’ clinical symptoms were evaluated twice daily. A multi-disciplinary medical team used the telehealth system to provide timely assistance for ill travelers. The cost of the mandatory quarantine was calculated according to data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan.
Results:
In 217 quarantined travelers, the SARS-CoV-2 testing was negative upon admission to the quarantine center. During the quarantine, 28 (12.9%) travelers became ill and were evaluated via telehealth. Three travelers with fever were hospitalized after the telehealth assessment, and subsequent tests for COVID-19 were negative for all three patients. The total costs during the quarantine were 193,938 USD, which equated to 894 USD per individual.
Conclusions:
Telehealth is an effective instrument in monitoring COVID-19 infection in quarantined travelers and could help provide timely disease management in those who are ill. It is imperative and cost-effective to screen and quarantine international travelers for SARS-COV-2 infection to reduce the nationwide spread of COVID-19.
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