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The new 'normal': Rapid adoption of telemedicine in orthopaedics during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rizzi, Andrew M; Polachek, William S; Dulas, Matthew; Strelzow, Jason A; Hynes, Kelly K.
  • Rizzi AM; University of Chicago Medical Center, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA. Electronic address: Andrew.Rizzi@uchospitals.edu.
  • Polachek WS; University of Chicago Medical Center, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
  • Dulas M; University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, 5841 South Maryland Ave, Chicago, USA.
  • Strelzow JA; University of Chicago Medical Center, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
  • Hynes KK; University of Chicago Medical Center, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
Injury ; 51(12): 2816-2821, 2020 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-764863
ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

Telemedicine provides a safe and effective means for the delivery of care by physicians amongst many subspecialties. Historically, orthopaedic practices in the United States have not widely utilized telemedicine for the delivery of orthopaedic care. As technology improves the adoption and utilization of telemedicine will likely grow, especially in light of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Our study aims to assess patient and surgeon satisfaction and efficacy of telemedicine during a rapid adoption due to the global pandemic.

METHODS:

All patients who completed a telemedicine encounter (telephone or video) with an orthopaedic surgeon were contacted. Patients were individually contacted after their visit, and a standardized validated post-visit satisfaction survey was completed. Orthopaedic surgeons completed a standardized post-encounter survey after each visit. Pre-COVID-19 patient satisfaction data was used for comparison.

RESULTS:

Orthopaedic surgeons completed 612 telehealth encounters either via phone or video consultation between April 6, 2020 and May 22, 2020. 95% of patients rated both surgeon sensitivity to their needs and response to their concerns as 'good' or 'very good.' 93% of patients reported they would participate in a telemedicine encounter again. Surgeons reported high satisfaction with telemedicine encounters (80%, 86% phone and video respectively), and that 78.4% of the time a telemedicine encounter was successful in replacing an in-person visit.

CONCLUSION:

Patients and orthopaedic surgeons documented high levels of satisfaction with telehealth encounters during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Telemedicine does not appear to be a replacement for all in-person clinic encounters, however, when used in the appropriate context demonstrated favourable results. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level 4 Study.
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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Orthopedics / Communicable Disease Control / Telemedicine / Ambulatory Care / COVID-19 Type of study: Cohort study / Observational study / Prognostic study / Randomized controlled trials Limits: Adult / Female / Humans / Male Country/Region as subject: North America Language: English Journal: Injury Year: 2020 Document Type: Article

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Orthopedics / Communicable Disease Control / Telemedicine / Ambulatory Care / COVID-19 Type of study: Cohort study / Observational study / Prognostic study / Randomized controlled trials Limits: Adult / Female / Humans / Male Country/Region as subject: North America Language: English Journal: Injury Year: 2020 Document Type: Article