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Table 2 Summary of Dependent Variables a

From: Assessing patient safety in a pediatric telemedicine setting: a multi-methods study

Variable

Description

Primary Decision

(n = 339)

1. Referred to the ED: 96 consultations (28.3%)

2. Not referred to the ED: 243 consultations (71.7%)

Secondary Decisionb

(n = 243)

1. Wait & see: – Observe the child and visit the community physician the following day: 181 (74.5%) consultations.

2. Active decisions:e

Intervention: 30 (12.5%) consultations (such as sending a digital prescription to the parents.)

Further inquiry: 32 (13%) consultations (using a video, sending photos, visiting the community medical service, arranging an additional conversation, or providing a referral to the ED in case symptoms worsen.)

Diagnosis Appropriateness

1. In 334 (98.5%) of the cases, the diagnoses were considered appropriate by the two reviewer doctors.

2. In 5 (1.5%) of the cases, the diagnoses were considered inappropriate by the two reviewing doctors.

Decision Reasonableness

First stagec

In 310 of the consultations, the physicians’ decisions were considered reasonable by the two reviewer doctors.

In 17 consultations, the two reviewer doctors agreed that the decisions were unreasonable.

In only 12 cases, one reviewer deemed the decision unreasonable, but the other did not.

Second staged

In 312 (92%) of the consultations, the physicians’ decisions were considered reasonable by the two reviewer doctors.

In 27 (8%) of the consultations, the physicians’ decisions were considered

unreasonable by the two reviewer doctors.

  1. a Descriptive data
  2. b Those that were not referred to ED
  3. c First stage: After the evaluation of the two independent reviewer doctors, their input on reasonableness and appropriateness for 12 cases was not uniform. As such, a third independent doctor was asked to review these 12 case, and his decision was final (i.e., two out three doctors’ reviews)
  4. dSecond stage: After the evaluation of the third reviewer, 10 of these 12 undecided cases (from the first stage) were labeled as unreasonable decisions
  5. eActive decisions: Intervention - providing a treatment (e.g., sending a digital prescription or other instructions); or determining that additional information is needed (e.g., inviting to a video conversation, consulting with the attending physician, suggesting an additional follow-up conversation, recommending going to a community emergency center)