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Telemedicine satisfaction and preferences in an orthopaedic spine clinic
Global Spine Journal ; 12(3):121S-122S, 2022.
Article in English | EMBASE | ID: covidwho-1938250
ABSTRACT

Introduction:

The use of telemedicine has expanded amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous studies have described the feasibility of telemedicine, however, little has been reported on the patient perception and preferences within orthopaedics. The purpose of our current study is to evaluate satisfaction and preferences of telemedicine from the perspective of patients within an orthopedic spine clinic. Material and

Methods:

A cross-sectional, anonymous survey was implemented as a prospective quality improvement initiative. The survey was sent to patients who had an in-office visit or a telemedicine visit with a provider in our orthopaedic spine clinic. The survey consisted of ten questions with a combination of multiple choice and yes/no questions. Four questions pertained to patient demographics including age range, race, gender, and proximity to the orthopaedic clinic. The remaining questions pertained to previous exposure to telemedicine, reasons patients would prefer telemedicine or in-office visits, for what types of visits patients would accept a telemedicine visit, and overall satisfaction with the visit. Univariate analysis was utilized to compare survey responses among groups.

Results:

The survey was sent to 1129 patients and a total of 316 patients responded. Twenty-one percent of respondents had a telemedicine appointment. There was no difference in satisfaction among patients who had a telemedicine or in-office visit (p = 0.288). Those that had telemedicine appointments were more likely to have had a previous experience with this type of visit (p = 0.004) and were more inclined to use it in the future (p < 0.001). Patients preferred telemedicine because of the ability to get earlier appointments (p < 0.001) and the convenience of the visits (p < 0.001). Patients preferred in-office visits because they received hands-on physical exams (p = 0.003) or imaging (p = 0.041).

Conclusion:

Telemedicine is a viable alternative to in-office appointments as spine patients had similar levels of patient satisfaction when compared to traditional, in-office appointments. Sooner appointments and convenience are attractive elements of telemedicine visits, while the desire for a physical examination and imaging-often needed during new patient appointments-remain potential barriers to further adoption in this population.
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Full text: Available Collection: Databases of international organizations Database: EMBASE Language: English Journal: Global Spine Journal Year: 2022 Document Type: Article

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Full text: Available Collection: Databases of international organizations Database: EMBASE Language: English Journal: Global Spine Journal Year: 2022 Document Type: Article