Information and communication technologies in emergency care services for patients with COVID-19: a multi-national study

Abstract

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are known for supporting healthcare services in dealing with adverse situations. However, little is known on the contribution of ICTs in a prolonged crisis involving a new disease, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we carry out an exploratory investigation of which ICTs contribute the most to the emergency care of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 according to healthcare technology experts and how physicians perceive these contributions. Initially, we applied an online survey to 109 healthcare technology experts. Then, we conducted 16 in-depth follow-up interviews with emergency medicine professionals from 10 countries to identify ..