Telehealth phone and video visits may be a viable alternative for post-operative follow ups, enabling clinicians to touch base with patients and determine whether an in-person visit is necessary, according to a new study.
The study, published in JAMA Surgery, looked at a sample of veterans undergoing low-complexity operations between May and July 2014. Each veteran was evaluated on three types of visits: in-person, telephone and video.
Each visit addressed the patient's general recovery, follow-up needs, complications and wound care needs. When asked about their preferences between the visits, 100 percent reported finding all types of visits helpful for both general recovery and follow-up needs. Ninety-six percent reported finding the visits helpful for wound needs and complication.
One infection was detected during a telephone and video visit, then confirmed during the in-person visit and there were no instances of complications that were not detected by telephone or video.
"The data suggest that telehealth visits, either by telephone or video, can identify veterans requiring in-person assessment or further care," the authors wrote. "A telehealth follow-up program with further evaluation of patient outcomes is being trialed at our facility. This has implications for wait list management, costs, and access to care for veterans and the Veterans Affairs healthcare system."