Comparison of virtual visit versus traditional clinic for management of varicose veins

Abstract

Introduction The objective of this study is to compare the clinical outcomes of patients with varicose veins managed in the telemedicine clinic and traditional clinic. Methods Retrospective analysis of all vein procedures in the institutional Vascular Quality Initiative Varicose Vein Registry (VQI VVR) was performed from January 2015 to August 2017. Patients were divided into two groups: Telemedicine versus Traditional Clinic. Comparison data included patient demographics, past medical history, clinical outcomes, patient-reported outcomes and postoperative complications. Statistical testing included chi-square test for categorical variables and student t-test for continuous variables using the SPSS statistical software. Results A total of 1034 varicose vein procedures were performed during the 31-month study period. There were 75 virtual encounters in the Telemedicine Clinic (Group A) and 959 face-to-face encounters in the Traditional Clinic (Group B). Most of the demographics characteristics were clinically similar in both groups. Comparing Group A and Group B, there were no differences in age, sex, race and body mass index. Early 3-month follow up was 100% in Group A and 90.7% in Group B. Both groups had low complication rates of haematoma (1.3% vs 0.3%, p = 0.884), paraesthesia (1.3% vs 0.6%, p = 0.767) and recanalisation (1.3% vs 4.0%, p = 0.383) during the early follow up period. Discussion Synchronous virtual visits for patient care are feasible for the management of chronic venous disease. Patients with varicose veins who choose to undergo telemedicine evaluations have similar pre-operative demographics, clinical classification and patient outcomes.

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“… 20 Similarly, publications from other specialties such as general surgery (after cholecystectomies and hernia repairs) have shown safe and equally effective post-operative outpatient visits with telehealth technology compared to in-person visits. 21 Some authors have argued that expedited virtual follow-up visits might identify risk factors for re-admission of discharged patients thus improving overall care outcome. 22 …”

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“…Earlier studies have reported that virtual clinics are associated with high patient/physician satisfaction [6][7][8]25,26], and findings have supported the effectiveness of virtual consultations in various practices [27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34]. Although teleconsultations or virtual clinics are not novel concepts, the growth of this type of health care service was slow in Taiwan owing to restrictive regulations prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

Design, Development, and Evaluation of a Telemedicine Platform for Patients With Sleep Apnea (Ognomy): Design Science Research Approach

“…Owing to its advantages, the development, deployment, and use of telemedicine have surged in the United States [10] and other developed nations [11]. Recent studies have shown that telemedicine interventions effectively improve clinical outcomes [12], decrease costs by reducing expensive inpatient service utilization [13], and provide a superior patient experience [14], particularly in the areas of chronic disease management, such as diabetes [15], chronic heart diseases [16], thyroid disorders [17], varicose veins [18], stroke [19], mental and emotional health issues [20], and sexually transmitted diseases [21]. Previous research has also discussed the benefits, drawbacks, and barriers to the adoption of telemedicine.…”