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Telehealth for general surgery postoperative care
Danielle Abbitt1, Kevin Choy1, Rose Castle2
1Department of Surgery, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 12631 E 17th Ave, Aurora, CO, USA.
American Journal of Surgery
|December 29, 2023
Summary
Postoperative telehealth is safe and effective for general surgery patients. This virtual care approach should be considered for low-risk procedures, improving patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Surgical care
- Telemedicine
- Health services research
Background:
- Telehealth use surged post-pandemic but remains underutilized in Veteran surgical care.
- General surgery presents an opportunity to expand telehealth applications.
- Evaluating postoperative telehealth is crucial for this population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the safety and efficacy of postoperative telehealth for Veterans undergoing general surgery.
- To compare outcomes between in-person and telehealth follow-up for surgical patients.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of Veterans undergoing general surgery from June 2019 to September 2021.
- Exclusion criteria included complex procedures, drains, or malignancy.
- Follow-up data compared in-person versus telehealth visits.
Main Results:
- 443 patients (56%) had in-person follow-up, while 346 (44%) used telehealth.
- Telehealth patients experienced significantly lower complication rates (6% vs. 12%, p=0.013).
- No significant differences were observed in emergency department visits, readmissions, or missed adverse events.
Conclusions:
- Postoperative telehealth is a safe and effective modality for general surgery follow-up.
- Telehealth should be considered for low-risk general surgery procedures to optimize care.
- Virtual follow-up can enhance patient management without compromising safety.
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