Compliance of Tonsillitis e-Health Patients: A Prospective Cohort Study

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Canceled appointments and undertreated patients incur significant healthcare expenses.
• Telemedicine offers remote assessment options for tonsillectomy candidates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare appointment cancellation rates between telemedicine-assisted care paths and in-person outpatient clinic evaluations for tonsillectomy.
• To assess the impact of preoperative telehealth on patient compliance with treatment.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study at Helsinki University Hospital involving two telehealth-assisted care paths (virtual visits, digital care pathway) and an in-person outpatient clinic (control group).
• Primary outcome measure was the rate of appointment cancellations.
• Secondary outcome included additional preoperative contacts.

Main Results:

• The digital care pathway exhibited the highest cancellation rate (25.9%) compared to the outpatient clinic (6.6%).
• Patients using the digital pathway had more additional remote contacts (29.4%) than those seen in person (18.5%).
• No significant difference in canceled surgeries was found between the groups.

Conclusions:

• Digital care pathways for tonsillectomy assessment may increase appointment cancellations and unplanned contacts.
• Maintaining both digital and in-person assessment options is crucial for accommodating diverse patient needs and managing healthcare costs.