ABSTRACT
AimsThe COVID-19 pandemic necessitated remote consultation for outpatient referrals in many hospitals in the UK and encouraging results have been recorded from adult studies. There is a limited evidence base for telephonic consultation in paediatric cardiology patients, which is even more complicated by the perceived need for echocardiography. This brief report evaluates patients assessed over the telephone in a single paediatric cardiology outpatient clinic over a 15-month period.MethodsData (demographics, clinical information, and outcomes) on new referrals to a single paediatric cardiology clinic between March 2020 and May 2021 was analysed retrospectively. These patients had been initially assessed telephonically and subsequently face-to-face. We excluded patients who already had a cardiac diagnosis or were seen face-to-face on an earlier occasion. In addition, a survey was sent to parents or carers of patients, and another was sent to young patients aged >12 years, to ascertain what they thought about the approach in the context of the pandemic.ResultsOut of 93 new patients assessed telephonically, 64 were subsequently assessed face-to-face and were included in the data analysis. 34 of these patients were male and 30 were female, ranging in age from four days to 15 years old. Reasons for referral included cardiac-related symptoms (17%), an asymptomatic finding (53%) such as a heart murmur, and a requirement for screening (30%). After the initial appointment, 18 patients (28%) assessed to have possible significant heart disease were scheduled for a face-to-face appointment within 3 months, 28 (44%) assessed to have possible minor heart disease were scheduled within 6 months, and 18 (28%) assessed to have probable normal hearts were scheduled within 1 year. Outcomes from face-to-face consultation were either: reassurance and discharge (51%), remaining within the clinic for long-term follow-up (44%), or referral for intervention on an elective timescale (5%).Results from the surveys are encouraging so far in terms of acceptability of telephone consultation in the context of a pandemic. All results have not yet been recorded;hence they cannot be fully analysed at this time.ConclusionThe data collected from this sample of patients supports the safety of telephone consultation for initial assessment in outpatient paediatric cardiology during a pandemic. It also supports the extrapolation of results to a period when normalcy is established.