Patient evaluation of a virtual visit program for adults with congenital heart disease

Improved longevity for adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD) necessitates regular, longitudinal care for this population. Telemedicine has emerged as a strategy to increase access to subspecialty care. We evaluated patient experience with a virtual visit program in the pre-COVID era to identify patient-centered benefits and limitations.

We enrolled patients for 30-minute synchronous videoconferencing virtual visits at our institution between October 2013 and March 2019. All patients were Massachusetts residents. Patients were surveyed and their characteristics were abstracted from electronic medical records.

A total of 264 virtual visits were conducted among 174 patients with a median age of 40 years. Patients traveled a median of 70 miles for in-person visits. Many visits were to review patient data (47%), and most individuals had moderate complexity CHD (45%). Patients reported very high satisfaction with a median visit rating of 10. Patients mostly preferred virtual visits when considering convenience and cost. No difference in preference to in-person visits was reported when considering sharing private information, confidence that concerns would be addressed, and overall visit quality. In-person visits were still preferred for personal connections and showing a physical problem.

We find that patients are highly satisfied with virtual visits. ACHD programs should consider blended virtual and in-person care. Long-term regulatory provisions will further improve care through the expansion of telemedicine in the post-COVID era.