Research on the online service mechanism of internet hospital in infectious disease prevention and control

Infectious diseases can sometimes lead to pandemics, often transmitted through public and social gatherings, including in-person hospital visits. Consequently, there is an urgent need for innovative approaches to prevent their spread. Taking COVID-19 as an example, we have explored a remote, contactless hospital online model that offers the public online medical consultations, professional psychological counseling, and chronic disease management consultations, thereby mitigating the risk of new transmissions resulting from hospital visits. This model was implemented, validated, and practiced at West China Hospital in China from 29 January 2020, to 12 March 2020. It was also applicable to other infectious diseases, such as influenza A. In this research, we utilized the hospital's internet platform, supplemented by telephone services, to offer the following to the public: 1) General medical education and consultation related to epidemics and psychological anxiety; 2) Online screening for at-risk populations; 3) Online prescription and medication delivery services for patients with chronic diseases. Consequently, over a period of more than 1 month, the online epidemic platform completed a total of 32,755 cases, including 8,783 internet consultations and 1,082 telephone consultations for the public, as well as 22,890 internet consultations for chronic disease patients. Among these, 289 high-risk individuals were identified, with 3 cases confirmed as COVID-19 during follow-up diagnoses, while no infections were detected in the remaining individuals. In conclusion, this innovative medical model serves as a significant supplement to existing healthcare systems and has the potential to be expanded to other hospitals and other infectious diseases. It is particularly beneficial in scenarios where medical resources are limited, populations are under quarantine, and there is a large demand for medical services and anxiety management during infectious disease pandemics.