Globally, healthcare providers are turning to\u202fvirtual\u202fcare to address the impact of COVID-19\u202fon health systems.\u202fHealth systems are not only facing increased loads of COVID-related concerns, but they\u202fmust continue to manage their\u202f existing \u202fobligations. From inpatients to outpatients and those they manage in the community, healthcare providers and resources are strained at every level. Right across the board, every facility and service modality, including hospitals and hotlines are experiencing unprecedented demand on top of an already\u202fstruggling\u202f baseline.\u202f\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Existing models of care entrenched around face-to-face consults are rapidly being replaced by telehealth service models. Telehealth helps reduce the key public health concerns of disease transmission, but these telehealth models still do not fully optimise the productivity of our health system resources, already overwhelmed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Early patient risk stratification is critical amidst this outbreak so that healthcare providers can maximise their resources to intervene and target those at high risk and utilise hospital resources to focus on those who really need it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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The foundational step in targeting individuals at high risk is to first identify them. Identifying and\u202fcurating\u202f lists\u202fof\u202f patients both COVID-19 negative and positive, will enable clinicians to actively monitor or care for at risk patients, and track\u202ftheir\u202fongoing\u202f progress.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Patient risk stratification is important in the following areas: <\/p>\n\n\n\n