Évaluation en temps réel du déploiement de technologies connectées et du partenariat de soins et services dans le contexte de crise sanitaire lié à la COVID-19 - le programme Techno-COVID-Partenariat

Faced with an unprecedented health crisis, the two institutions that receive the most COVID-19 patients in Quebec have decided to implement social and technological innovations adapted to each stage of the trajectory of COVID-19 patients, from diagnosis to recovery, in order to reduce isolation, maintain the partnership between patients and clinicians and promote the quality and safety of care. Grouped together within the Techno-COVID-Partenariat project, this research makes it possible to evaluate in a real-life care situation how these innovations are implemented, on which dimensions they act and how much they can cost, as well as determine whether factors can explain certain results. The innovations studied focus on (i) the contribution of mobile applications for the maintenance of newly diagnosed patients; (ii) the combination of telephone calls from volunteers to break isolation and the use of different technologies to carry out teleconsultations and telemonitoring; (iii) the adoption of a companion robot to entertain and care for COVID-19 patients hospitalized with psychiatric disorders; and (iv) supporting patients during their transition and return home using COVID-19 patient companions and a remote monitoring platform. The evaluation of these innovations is a unique opportunity to show how virtual health tools can potentially reliably treat thousands of patients over a short period of time while preserving at-risk healthcare workers and ensuring the maintenance of social ties and partnerships. If the results are conclusive, they will accelerate their implementation in other institutions (Canadian and international), not only for COVID-19 but also for any other health problem that could benefit from these technologies and modalities.