Telehealth Sterilization Consultation Does Not Impact Likelihood of Vasectomy: A Retrospective Institutional Analysis

White, Joshua; Rahman, Farah; Petrella, Francis; Rivero, Marco-Jose; Deebel, Nicholas; Arbeleaz, Maria Camila Suarez; Ledesma, Braian; Kohn, Taylor P.; Ramasamy, Ranjith

doi:10.1016/j.urology.2023.03.019

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Given that virtual consultation is often more practical and convenient for patients, this could mean that virtual preoperative consultation for vasectomy may be both logistically and clinically feasible. These findings have great clinical utility, further contributing to the growing body of literature in support of incorporating telehealth into urology practices, including the study by White et al 5 Within our cohort of patients desiring vasectomy, abnormal exam findings rendering in-office vasectomy contraindicated were exceedingly rare. A recent study by Doolittle et al similarly found no difference in vasectomy completion rates between those who underwent virtual vs in-person preoperative consultation (97.4% [149/153] vs 98.7% [151/153], P ¼ .68).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 63%

“…3 White et al found that both in-office and virtual vasectomy consultation appointments resulted in comparable rates in vasectomy completion. 5 One purported advantage of using telehealth for vasectomy consultation is patient convenience and improved access to care, though this has not yet been shown in the literature. Patients might receive appropriate care from the comfort of their own home as a result of telehealth, saving travel costs and minimizing disruptions to their schedules.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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No Detectable Association Between Virtual Setting for Vasectomy Consultation and Vasectomy Completion Rate

Hernandez,

Bernstein,

Zhu

et al. 2024

Urology Practice

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Introduction:The COVID-19 pandemic has fueled widespread incorporation of telehealth into urology practices. Vasectomy consultation via telehealth is convenient and improves access to care for male contraception. However, it does not allow for physical examination, inherently leading to possible day-of-procedure cancellations due to unforeseen anatomic concerns. This study aimed to compare vasectomy completion rates between patients undergoing virtual vs inperson consultation.Methods: All patients seen by a single provider at NYU Langone Health for vasectomy consultation between October 2016 and June 2022 were included in the study. Most patients seen before March 2020 had in-person consultations, whereas the majority of patients seen afterwards had virtual consultations without option for in-person visit due to the emergence of COVID-19. All patients seen virtually were examined in a consult room prior to being prepped for the vasectomy in the procedure room. Visit type, demographic information, and clinical outcomes data were collected for all patients. A chi-square test was used to compare the rate of vasectomy completion between those with in-person and virtual consultation. Analysis was performed using R, version 4.0.5.Results: Four hundred ninety-one patients were seen by a single provider for vasectomy consultation between October 2016 and June 2022. One hundred ninety-seven (40.1%) consultations were performed virtually and 294 (59.9%) consultations were performed in person. Three hundred seventy (75.4%) of all patients seen for consultation (both virtual and in person) ultimately underwent vasectomy. There was no evidence of difference in rate of completing vasectomy after virtual (75.6%) and in-person (75.2%) consultation (P ¼ .91). Two of the 197 (1%) patients who consulted virtually had their vasectomy procedures cancelled on the day of the procedure based on their preoperative exam; one because of abnormal epididymal sensitivity after prior scrotal infection, the other because of a history of orchiopexy that the patient was not aware of until the surgeon started inquiring about scrotal scars present.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 63%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

No Detectable Association Between Virtual Setting for Vasectomy Consultation and Vasectomy Completion Rate

Hernandez,

Bernstein,

Zhu

et al. 2024

Urology Practice

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show abstract

“…2 Their results mirror previously published articles showing that both in-person visits and telehealth visits result in comparable rates of vasectomy completion, albeit in the largest cohort of patients to date. 3,4 Interestingly, only 2 patient's vasectomies were cancelled on the day of the procedure. The implementation of telehealth consultation into practice has disrupted the traditional paradigm of inperson interactions; whereas in-person consultation had always been considered preferable, that preference may be due to anecdotal provider inclinations rather than patient preferences or evidence that in-person consultations were superior.The end of the temporary telehealth expansions under the COVID-19 public health emergency is approaching.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Editorial Comment

Matthew-Onabanjo,

Arora

2024

Urology Practice

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In this retrospective study, the authors evaluated vasectomy completion rates after virtual visit post onset of the COVID-19 pandemic vs an in-person visit prior to the pandemic. 2 Their results mirror previously published articles showing that both in-person visits and telehealth visits result in comparable rates of vasectomy completion, albeit in the largest cohort of patients to date. 3,4 Interestingly, only 2 patient's vasectomies were cancelled on the day of the procedure. The implementation of telehealth consultation into practice has disrupted the traditional paradigm of inperson interactions; whereas in-person consultation had always been considered preferable, that preference may be due to anecdotal provider inclinations rather than patient preferences or evidence that in-person consultations were superior.The end of the temporary telehealth expansions under the COVID-19 public health emergency is approaching. With these flexibilities in flux, it is reasonable to assume that some curtailing will be implemented by payors soon, despite advocacy efforts by patient and provider groups. Broader

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Vasectomy

Reddy,

Honig

2024

Reference Module in Biomedical Sciences

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Telehealth Sterilization Consultation Does Not Impact Likelihood of Vasectomy: A Retrospective Institutional Analysis

Cited by 5 publications

References 11 publications

No Detectable Association Between Virtual Setting for Vasectomy Consultation and Vasectomy Completion Rate

No Detectable Association Between Virtual Setting for Vasectomy Consultation and Vasectomy Completion Rate

Editorial Comment

Vasectomy

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