Patient satisfaction and savings, and clinical outcomes of televisits in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery at an urban academic center

Abstract

Aim To evaluate patient satisfaction and savings, and compare visit outcomes based on chief complaint (CC) of women presenting for a televisit to a female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery (FPMRS) clinic at an urban academic center. Methods A cross‐sectional study of women completing a televisit with an FPMRS specialist at our institution from June 19, 2020 to July 17, 2020 was conducted. A telephone questionnaire was administered to patients to assess satisfaction and savings (travel costs/time avoided). Electronic medical records were reviewed to collect patient demographics and comorbidities, CC, and televisit outcomes (e.g., face‐to‐face (F2F) exam scheduled, orders placed). Logistic regression was used to analyze predictors of satisfaction and need for F2F follow‐up. Results One hundred eighty‐seven of 290 (64.5%) women called completed the survey, of whom 168 (89.8%) were satisfied with their televisit. Eighty‐eight (48.1%) saved at least an hour and 54 (28.9%) saved more than $25 on transportation. There were no significant associations between patient characteristics, CC, or televisit outcomes and satisfaction. Ninety‐nine (52.9%) televisits resulted in F2F follow‐up, with CC of prolapse (odds ratio [OR] = 4.2 (1.7–10.3); p = 0.002), new patient (OR = 2.2 (1.2–4.2); p = 0.01), and Hispanic ethnicity (OR = 3.9 (1.2–13.6); p=.03) as significant predictors. Conclusion Most patients were satisfied with FPMRS televisits at our urban academic center. Televisits resulted in patient travel time and cost savings. Women presenting with prolapse and for new patient visits would likely benefit from initial F2F visits instead of televisits. Televisits are an important mode of health care and in some cases can replace F2F visits.

A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Telemedicine Versus In-Person Office Visits for the Follow-Up of Overactive Bladder

“…Previous studies have investigated the satisfaction of female patients presenting for a telemedicine visit in a female pelvic medicine clinic. Shin et al 15 performed a cross-sectional study in an urban academic center using a telephone questionnaire. Nearly 90% of patients undergoing telemedicine visits were satisfied with their experience.…”

Telemedicine and Telehealth in Urology—What Do the ‘Patients' Think About It?

“…Shin et al (24), in their study, examined the patient contentedness and savings and clinical results of televisits in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery at an urban educational center and identified that the patients reported a variety of savings, such as 88 (48.1%) of them saved at least 1 h in travel time and 54 (28.9%) saved more than $25 on transportation costs. The patient and family burden was reduced because 43 (23%) had a healthcare issue that made it hard to go for face-toface appointments, 37 (19.8%) said that traveling for face-to-face appointments was grueling, and 41 (21.9%) said that doing a televisit allowed them to avoid taking time off work.…”

“…The patient and family burden was reduced because 43 (23%) had a healthcare issue that made it hard to go for face-toface appointments, 37 (19.8%) said that traveling for face-to-face appointments was grueling, and 41 (21.9%) said that doing a televisit allowed them to avoid taking time off work. More than half of all patients 94(51.4%) indicated they generally spend more than half an hour in the waiting area for face-to-face sessions (24).…”

“…In their study, Shin et al (24) attempted to assess the patient satisfaction and cost savings and analyzed visit outcomes using a main complaint of women for a televisit to the FPMRS clinic at an urban educational center. They did a cross-sectional review of all the women who finished a televisit to an FPMRS specialist at their institution and found out that 187 out of 290 (64.5%) women who were called completed the survey, and 168 (89.8%) of them were satisfied with the televisit.…”

“…Because many participants were comfortable with FPMRS televisits at their urban academic center, telemedicine could become a main treatment within the FPMRS specialty even after the epidemic is gone. As more healthcare institutions adopt telemedicine, further research needs to be conducted to determine which patients will benefit the most from it (24).…”