Patient Perceptions of Telehealth Orthopedic Services in the Era of COVID-19 and Beyond.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic necessitated an unprecedented increase in the use of telehealth services in orthopedics. Patient attitudes toward and satisfaction with virtual orthopedic services remain largely unexplored. A prospective study of all orthopedic patients at a tertiary academic medical center who had a telehealth appointment between April 1, 2020, and May 5, 2020, was performed to assess patients' experience with a validated 21-item telehealth satisfaction questionnaire. The survey contained statements designed to assess patients' level of agreement with numerous aspects of telehealth, including convenience, the surgeon's ability to engage in care, ease of use, and future use of telehealth. Most respondents (86.7%) were satisfied with the telehealth system. The majority of patients expressed that the system is easy to use (90.0%), is convenient (86.7%), and saves them time (83.3%). Nearly all (95%) patients agreed that their surgeon could answer their questions with the use of this technology, although nearly half (46.6%) identified the lack of physical contact during the examination as problematic. Only 46.7% of patients agreed that telehealth should be a standard form of health care delivery in the future; these patients were found to have significantly longer commute times compared with those who did not (52.1±58.2 vs 28.3±19.2, P=.03). Patient perspectives on the widespread adoption of telehealth, such as ease of use, privacy protection, and convenience, showed that these anticipated barriers may be some of the greatest advantages of telehealth. The COVID-19 pandemic may have provided the momentum for telehealth to become a mainstay of orthopedic health care delivery in the future. [Orthopedics. 2021;44(5):e668-e674.].

Public perceptions and disparities in access to telehealth orthopaedic services in the COVID-19 era.

BACKGROUND: We used online crowdsourcing to explore public perceptions and attitudes towards virtual orthopaedic care, and to identify factors associated with perceived difficulty navigating telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A modified version of the validated Telemedicine Satisfaction and Usefulness Questionnaire was completed by 816 individuals using crowd-sourcing methods. Multivariable logistic regression modelling was used to determine population characteristics associated with perceived difficulty using telehealth technology. RESULTS: Most respondents (85%) believed that telehealth visits would be a convenient form of healthcare delivery, and 64% would prefer them over in-person office visits. The majority (92%) agreed that telehealth would save them time, but 81% had concerns regarding the lack of physical contact during a musculoskeletal examination. More respondents would feel comfortable using telehealth for routine follow-up care (81%) compared to initial assessment visits (59%) and first postoperative appointments (60%). Roughly 1 in 15 (7%) expressed difficulty with using telehealth; these respondents were more often unmarried, lower-income, and more medically infirm, and reported greater symptoms of depression. After multivariable adjustment, lower income and poor health were retained as predictors of difficulty with navigating telehealth technology (p = 0.027,p = 0.036, respectively). CONCLUSION: The majority of the public appears receptive to telehealth for orthopaedic care for both new patient visits and follow-up appointments. The finding that people with multiple chronic conditions and psychosocial needs struggle to engage with telehealth suggests that those who arguably stand to benefit the most from continued care are the ones being unintentionally left out of this digitization boom.

Public Perceptions of Resuming Elective Surgery During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Many U.S. health systems are grappling with how to safely resume elective surgery amid the COVID-19 pandemic. We used online crowdsourcing to explore public perceptions and concerns toward resuming elective surgery during the pandemic, and to determine factors associated with the preferred timing of surgery after health systems reopen. METHODS: A 21-question survey was completed by 722 members of the public using Amazon Mechanical Turk. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to determine factors associated with the timing of preferred surgery after health systems reopen. RESULTS: Most (61%) participants were concerned with contracting COVID-19 during the surgical process, primarily during check-in and in waiting room areas, as well as through excessive interactions with staff. Overall, 57% would choose to have their surgery at a hospital over an outpatient surgery center. About 1 in 4 (27%) would feel comfortable undergoing elective surgery in the first month of health systems reopening. After multivariable adjustment, native English speaking (OR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.04-6.4; P = .042), male sex (OR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.3-2.7; P < .001), and Veterans Affairs insurance (OR, 4.5; 95% CI, 1.1-18.7; P = .036) were independent predictors of preferring earlier surgery. CONCLUSION: Women and non-native English speakers may be more hesitant to undergo elective surgery amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite concerns of contagion, more than half of the public favors a hospital setting over an outpatient surgery center for their elective surgery. Concerted efforts to minimize patient congestion and unnecessary face-to-face interactions may prove most effective in reducing public anxiety and concerns over the safety of resuming elective care.