Using Telemedicine and Infographics for Physician-Guided Home Drain Removal.
OTO Open
; 4(2): 2473974X20933566, 2020.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-602821
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
Measures to decrease hospital length of stay and outpatient visits are crucial during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Physician-guided home drain removal presents a potential opportunity for mitigating viral spread and transmission.METHODS:
A prospective case series on patients undergoing major head and neck surgery with Jackson-Pratt drain placement was conducted. Patients were shown an infographic detailing drain care and removal at preoperative assessment and prior to discharge. At a 1-week follow-up telemedicine visit, patients were instructed to remove the drain under physician guidance. Patients were assessed 7 days after to determine complication rate and satisfaction.RESULTS:
Twenty-five patients were enrolled with 100% patients undergoing successful drain removal at home with caregiver support. There were no complications reported at the 7-day postdrain removal time point, and overall patient satisfaction was high.DISCUSSION:
Infographics and telemedicine are 2 synergistic strategies to guide safe and effective home drain removal. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE This study demonstrates how telemedicine and an infographic can be effectively used in physician-guided home drain removal. During a time like the COVID-19 pandemic, innovative measures are necessary to curb transmission and infection rates. We propose a unique and replicable yet safe solution to limit unnecessary exposure and encourage other surgical providers to adopt a similar strategy.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Type of study:
Cohort study
/
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Qualitative research
Language:
English
Journal:
OTO Open
Year:
2020
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
2473974x20933566
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