A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Telemedicine Versus In-Person Office Visits for the Follow-Up of Overactive...

Overactive bladder is a condition that may be ideally suited for the use of telemedicine because initial treatment options are behavioral modification and pharmacotherapy.

We sought to evaluate if there was an overall difference in patient follow-up rates between telemedicine and in-person visits.

New patients presenting with overactive bladder from July 2020 to March 2021 were randomized into telemedicine and in-person visits groups. A prospective database was maintained to compare follow-up rates, satisfaction rates, and time commitment.

Forty-eight patients were randomized, 23 to the telemedicine group and 25 to the in-person visits group. There was no significant difference in follow-up rates between the telemedicine and in-person follow-up groups at 30 days (39% vs 28%, P = 0.41), 60-days (65% vs 56% P = 0.51) or 90 days (78% vs 60%, P = 0.17). There was no significant difference in satisfaction rates between the 2 groups. There was a significant difference between the average telemedicine visit time and in-person visit time (12.1 ± 6.9 minutes vs 22.8 ± 17.1 minutes; P = 0.02). For in-person visits, the average travel time was 49 minutes (interquartile range, 10-90 minutes) and average miles traveled was 22.1 miles (interquartile range, 10-70 miles).

There was no significant difference in follow-up or satisfaction rates between telemedicine and in-person visits. Telemedicine visits took half the length of time compared with in-person visits. On average, patients in the telemedicine group saved approximately 1 hour per follow-up visit. Telemedicine visits save both the health care provider and patient significant amounts of time without sacrificing patient satisfaction and follow-up rates.