Telehealth follow-up in lieu of postoperative clinic visit for ambulatory surgery: results of a pilot program
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.Telehealth telephone visits can safely replace routine postoperative clinic appointments for selected ambulatory surgery patients, improving satisfaction and reducing travel burdens.
Area Of Science
- Ambulatory Surgery
- Health Services Research
- Telemedicine
Background
- Routine postoperative clinic visits are standard for ambulatory surgical procedures.
- Selected patients may benefit from alternative follow-up methods to improve access and efficiency.
Purpose Of The Study
- To evaluate the safety and efficacy of allied health professional telephone visits as a substitute for in-person postoperative clinic visits.
- To assess patient satisfaction and complication rates associated with telehealth follow-up.
Main Methods
- A prospective case series was conducted over 10 months at a university-affiliated veterans hospital.
- Ambulatory surgery patients (hernia repair, cholecystectomy) were contacted 2 weeks post-surgery by a physician assistant using a scripted template.
- Key assessment variables included overall health, pain, incision appearance, and patient concerns.
Main Results
- 78% of patients were successfully contacted via telehealth.
- 70.8% of hernia repair and 90.5% of cholecystectomy patients accepted telehealth as their sole follow-up.
- Zero complications were observed in cholecystectomy patients; 4.8% in hernia repair patients. High patient satisfaction was reported.
Conclusions
- Telehealth is a safe and effective substitute for standard postoperative clinic visits in selected ambulatory surgery patients.
- This approach significantly reduces patient travel time and expenses.
- Telehealth follow-up frees up clinic resources for scheduling new patients, enhancing healthcare system efficiency.