Virtual Fracture Clinics: Are They Truly Safe and Cost-Effective?

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Traditional fracture clinics (TFCs) face challenges with efficiency, cost, and timely specialist reviews for musculoskeletal trauma.
• The virtual fracture clinic (VFC) model emerged as an alternative, using virtual reviews instead of automatic physical appointments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the existing evidence on the safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of the VFC model.
• To compare the VFC model with the traditional face-to-face fracture clinic (TFC) approach.

Main Methods:

• This study is a narrative review of current evidence.
• Systematic reviews covering over 63,000 patients were analyzed.

Main Results:

• VFCs demonstrate strong safety, with low re-attendance rates (<5%) and minimal missed diagnoses, comparable to TFCs.
• VFCs achieve high compliance (83%+) for specialist review within 72 hours, exceeding TFC performance.
• VFCs offer significant cost savings by reducing unnecessary appointments and optimizing consultant time.

Conclusions:

• The VFC model is a safe, efficient, and cost-effective method for managing selected musculoskeletal injuries.
• VFCs enhance clinical governance and patient satisfaction, though clear communication and safety-netting are crucial.
• VFCs serve as a valuable complementary tool, preserving physical clinic capacity for complex cases.