Telemedicine in Otolaryngology During COVID-19: Patient and Physician Satisfaction.
Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg
; 167(1): 56-64, 2022 07.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1398801
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
To examine patient and physician satisfaction with telemedicine in otolaryngology during COVID-19 and identify associated factors. STUDYDESIGN:
Prospective cohort study.SETTING:
Tertiary care center.METHODS:
Patient satisfaction was rated by patients (age ≥18 years) who had encounters from May to July 2020 (n = 407). Physician satisfaction was rated by 15 otolaryngologists for specific encounters delivered from May to June 2020 (n = 1011). Patient satisfaction was measured with a Press Ganey questionnaire and a Telemedicine Satisfaction Questionnaire. Mean Press Ganey satisfaction scores of telemedicine encounters during COVID-19 were compared with the pre-COVID-19 Press Ganey scores from in-person encounters (n = 3059) to test a noninferiority hypothesis. Physician satisfaction was measured with a Provider Satisfaction Questionnaire.RESULTS:
The mean Press Ganey patient satisfaction score for telemedicine encounters was 94.5 (SD, 8.8), no worse than that for in-person encounters prior to COVID-19 at 93.7 (SD, 15.5; Δ = 0.8 [95% CI, -0.5 to 2.1, excluding the noninferiority margin of -1]). Encounters with videoconference (vs telephone) and patients reporting higher income were associated with higher Telemedicine Satisfaction Questionnaire scores. Physician satisfaction scores during COVID-19 with telemedicine encounters were overall high at 83.3 (95% CI, 77.5-89.1), slightly lower when compared with the scores with in-person encounters at 88.4 (95% CI, 82.5-94.3; Δ = -5.2 [95% CI, -6.6 to -3.8]). Encounters with videoconference (vs telephone) and patients with English as a preferred language and follow-up visits were associated with higher Provider Satisfaction Questionnaire scores.CONCLUSIONS:
Telemedicine is a feasible alternative format in otolaryngology during COVID-19 with overall high patient and physician satisfaction. Patient satisfaction with telemedicine encounters during COVID-19 was no worse than in-person encounters prior to the pandemic. Physician satisfaction with telemedicine was relatively lower in comparison with in-person encounters.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Otolaryngology
/
Physicians
/
Telemedicine
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Cohort study
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg
Journal subject:
Otolaryngology
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
01945998211041921
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