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Effect of telehealth implementation on an adolescent metabolic and bariatric surgery program
Rachel E Herdes1, Brittany E Matheson2, Deborah D Tsao3
1Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California.
Background:
Pediatric severe obesity is a worldwide health concern. Treatment with metabolic and bariatric surgery can reduce morbidity and mortality. The COVID-19 pandemic not only has had a significant effect on rates of pediatric obesity but also has necessitated a rapid transition to virtual medicine.
Objective:
We aimed to identify and examine adolescent metabolic and bariatric surgery patient participation rates through our program's virtual telehealth programming as compared with prepandemic traditional in-person clinic appointments.
Setting:
This study took place at an academic pediatric quaternary care center.
Methods:
We evaluated 92 adolescent patients with a total of 2442 unique encounters between January 2018 and July 2021.
Results:
The rate of attendance was found to be greater for telehealth visits (83.1%) than for in-person appointments (70.5%) for all clinics regardless of appointment type (preoperative versus postoperative). Cancellation rates were lower for telehealth visits (9.9%) than for in-person appointments (22.5%).
Conclusion:
This study provides evidence that telehealth can be implemented successfully in an adolescent metabolic and bariatric surgery program and can improve attendance rates for all provider and appointment subtypes.
