Telehealth as an effective method of follow-up for pediatric post tonsillectomy patients

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Otolaryngology
• Health Services Research
• Telemedicine

Background:

• Post-tonsillectomy care traditionally involves in-person follow-up visits.
• Optimizing postoperative management is crucial for patient recovery and healthcare resource allocation.
• Telehealth offers a potential solution for remote patient monitoring and follow-up care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of nurse-led telehealth for pediatric post-tonsillectomy management.
• To assess patient and caregiver satisfaction with telehealth follow-up.
• To determine the impact of telehealth on the number of postoperative office visits and complication rates.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective case series of pediatric patients (<18 years) undergoing tonsillectomy.
• Analysis of data from January 2017 to December 2019 at a tertiary academic medical center.
• Postoperative management included telehealth communication on postoperative days 3-5 and at 4-6 weeks, with data collection on demographics, satisfaction, visits, and complications.

Main Results:

• 829 pediatric tonsillectomy patients were included; average age 5.7 years.
• Successful telehealth contact was achieved for 511 patients; 322 completed 4-6 week follow-up.
• 91% reported symptom improvement, 98% were satisfied with telehealth, and office visits decreased significantly over the study period. Postoperative bleeding occurred in 6% and 31 patients required reoperation.

Conclusions:

• Nurse-led telehealth is a safe and effective method for managing pediatric post-tonsillectomy patients.
• Telehealth significantly reduces the need for in-person office visits, potentially lowering costs and increasing appointment availability.
• Patient satisfaction and symptom improvement were high with telehealth follow-up, indicating its value in pediatric otolaryngology practices.