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COVID-19 UPDATE

COVID-19 Infectious

Disease Virtual

Outpatient Team:

A Telemedicine Response

to the Pandemic

By Emily Sherry

Beginning with the COVID-19 pandemic, Long School of Med- ally, serving different roles as medical team member, educator, sup-
icine volunteers and medical students rotating on the Family Med- port system and advocate illuminated various timeless professional
icine clerkship had the opportunity to be a part of the COVID-19 development questions. How will we care for patients when we don’t
Infectious Diseases Virtual Outpatient Team. As part of the team, have all the answers for them? How will we educate patients during
we contacted patients via phone calls who had been diagnosed with scenarios in which many unknowns surround their condition? And
COVID-19 after hospital discharge or after diagnosis at 5 days and as our fellow medical communities fight for the human person, what
14 days. Our major goals included monitoring patients’ symptoms will our response be as health care professionals? In reflecting, I was
and a COVID-19 illness course, offering medical resources, escalat- reminded of reverberating motifs that drew me to medicine in the
ing patient care to infectious disease specialists when needed, con- first place. These motifs include the value of being truly present with
necting patients with primary care and listening to patients’ other, the human person; bringing the passion, compassion and joy for
nonmedical needs. medicine that carried me to this calling into every patient experience;
Through the experience on the COVID-19 Infectious Diseases Vir- and always respecting the dignity of the human person in how I ad-
tual Outpatient Team, I felt we all gained a more personal understand- vocate and care for them.
ing of the needs of patients within our San Antonio and Texas I think medical professionals have been adapting and growing to
communities, as well as the macrocosm of the pandemic. By contribut- address this pandemic with creativity, courage, flexibility and team-
ing to phone follow-ups, we developed educational and clinical skills work, amidst uncertainty and unpredictability. Notably, we face the
that better enabled us to serve the needs of patients right now. Not same question that we answered every day before COVID-19 through
only has the experience been a chance for our outpatient team to reach our actions, mindset and integrity that we bring to the clinical envi-
a large number of people and maintain contact, but also the virtual ronment: How will we care for our patients today?
person-to-person encounter has given us a foundation to reflect and In the momentous crucible of COVID-19, the question has re-
build upon how we envision ourselves as physicians serving patients mained the same, but is textured to the rapidly changing circumstances
in the future. of health care and our world. Currently, telehealth is playing a major
We won’t always be caring for patients in a pandemic setting, yet role in making health care more accessible and safer for patients and
certain themes transcend all medical work and time. For me person- clinic teams. Being a part of the COVID-19 Infectious Diseases Vir-

28 SAN ANTONIO MEDICINE • July 2021