Patient Satisfaction with Lung Transplant Telemedicine: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Transplant Surgery
• Public Health

Background:

• Telemedicine is crucial for post-lung transplant care, especially during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
• Lung transplant recipients need continuous monitoring due to immunosuppression and health conditions.
• Assessing patient satisfaction and program feasibility is vital for successful telemedicine implementation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate patient satisfaction with a telemedicine program for lung transplant recipients.
• To assess the feasibility and patient-centered aspects of post-transplant telemedicine care.
• To identify key domains influencing patient experience with virtual healthcare.

Main Methods:

• An observational study was conducted at a lung transplant center from March to November 2020.
• A custom telemedicine satisfaction survey was emailed to lung transplant recipients, with a 6-month follow-up.
• The survey assessed quality of care, technology, cost, and overall patient experience.

Main Results:

• High patient satisfaction reported, with 94% rating care as "very good" or "excellent" initially.
• High technology usability reported, with over 94% understanding the systems.
• Most patients (84-90%) experienced decreased travel costs, but in-person visit preference rose from 45% to 65%.

Conclusions:

• Lung transplant patients are highly satisfied with telemedicine, citing cost savings and reduced COVID-19 exposure.
• Telemedicine effectively addresses technological barriers in post-transplant care.
• Further research should validate satisfaction tools and assess clinical outcomes in transplant populations.