COVID-19 Reducing the Risks: Telemedicine is the New Norm for Surgical Consultations and Communications
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
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COVID-19 Reducing the Risks: Telemedicine is the New Norm for Surgical Consultations and Communications Christopher C. Gillman-Wells1
•
Thangasamy K. Sankar2 • Shailesh Vadodaria3
Received: 21 June 2020 / Accepted: 27 July 2020 Ó Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature and International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery 2020
Abstract Introduction COVID-19, a worldwide pandemic, has enforced a national lockdown in the UK which produced a paradigm shift about the way medical practitioners would perform consultations and communication with their patients. Senior authors realised that in lockdown there was only one option to see a patient: virtual consultation via telecommunication technologies. This paper will discuss the current benefits and considerations of Telemedicine, particularly in plastic surgery, to decipher the next route of action to further validate its use for future implementation. Method A detailed literature review was carried out comparing papers from 1992 to 2020. A survey of 122 consultant plastic surgeons found an encouraging result as 70% positively embraced the suggestion of Telemedicine in their current practice. Discussion Telemedicine produced equal or improved patient satisfaction. Its utilisation reduced cost for patient, clinic and consultant. With accessibility to a large percentage of the population, Telemedicine enables infection control and adherence to social distancing during COVID19. Considerations include dependability on internet access, legal aspects, cyber security and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the inability to perform
& Christopher C. Gillman-Wells [email protected] 1
University of Leeds Medical School – Year One, 51 St. Nicholas Crescent, Pyrford GU228TD, UK
2
Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Kettering, UK
3
Clementine Churchill BMI Hospital, London Harley Health Village, London MACS Clinic, Watford, London, UK
palpation or physical inspection and psychological impacts on the patient. Conclusion In modern times, Telemedicine has become more accessible and COVID-19 has made it more applicable than ever before. More in-depth research is needed for validation of this technique within plastic surgery. While maintaining quality of care and a vital role in social distancing, there is a strong need for standardisation of Telemedicine processes, platforms, encryption and data storage. Level of Evidence V This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266. Keywords Postoperative Telemedicine COVID-19
Introduction Telemedicine is defined as the use of telecommunication and online technologies for the provision of medical services or care [1]. It can be used for transfer and analysis of postoperative wound images, X-rays, over-the-phone appointments and real-time video consultations, all
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