Telemedicine for postoperative follow-up, virtual surgical clinics during COVID-19 pandemic
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and Other Interventional Techniques
Telemedicine for postoperative follow‑up, virtual surgical clinics during COVID‑19 pandemic María J. Irarrázaval1 · Martin Inzunza1 · Rodrigo Muñoz1 · Nicolás Quezada1 · Alejandro Brañes1 · Mauricio Gabrielli1 · Pedro Soto1 · Martín Dib1 · Gonzalo Urrejola1 · Julian Varas1 · Sebastián Valderrama1 · Fernando Crovari1 · Pablo Achurra1 Received: 24 July 2020 / Accepted: 21 October 2020 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Summary and background data Recent coronavirus outbreak and “stay at home” policies have accelerated the implementation of virtual healthcare. Many surgery departments are implementing telemedicine to enhance remote perioperative care. However, concern still arises regarding the safety of this modality in postoperative follow-up after gastrointestinal surgery. The aim of the present prospective study is to compare the use of telemedicine clinics to in-person follow-up for postoperative care after gastrointestinal surgery during COVID-19 outbreak. Methods Prospective study that included all abdominal surgery patients operated since the COVID-19 outbreak. On discharge, patients were given the option to perform their postoperative follow-up appointment by telemedicine or by in-person clinics. Demographic, perioperative, and follow-up variables were analyzed. Results Among 219 patients who underwent abdominal surgery, 106 (48%) had their postoperative follow-up using telemedicine. There were no differences in age, gender, ASA score, and COVID-19 positive rate between groups. Patients who preferred telemedicine over in-person follow-up were more likely to have undergone laparoscopic surgery (71% vs. 51%, P = 0.037) and emergency surgery (55% vs. 41%; P = 0.038). Morbidity rate for telemedicine and in-person group was 5.7% and 8%, (P = 0.50). Only 2.8% of patients needed an in-person visit following the telemedicine consult, and 1.9% visited the emergency department. Conclusions In the current pandemic, telemedicine follow-up can be safely and effectively performed in selected surgical patients. Patients who underwent laparoscopic and emergency procedures opted more for telemedicine than in-person follow-up. Keywords Telemedicine · Postoperative care · COVID-19 pandemic Telemedicine is the use of electronic information and video communication technologies to provide and support healthcare when distance separates participants [1]. Due to the widespread adoption of technology in all fields, telemedicine is increasingly being used and becoming a promising tool in healthcare [2]. Among its benefits, excellent clinical outcomes, enhanced patient satisfaction, increased accessibility, reduced cost and reduced waiting times have been described [1]. * Pablo Achurra [email protected] 1
Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Diagonal Paraguay 362, 8330077 Santiago, Region Metropolitana, Chile
Recent coronavirus outbreak [3] has accelerated the implementation o
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