Utilization of telemedicine to provide post-discharge care: A comparison of pre-pandemic vs. pandemic care.
Am J Surg
; 226(2): 163-169, 2023 08.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36966017
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, post-discharge virtual visits transitioned from a novel intervention to standard practice. Our aim was to evaluate participation in and outcomes of virtual post-discharge visits in the early-pandemic timeframe.METHODS:
Pandemic cohort patients were compared to historical patients. Patient demographics, clinical information, and post-discharge 30-day hospital encounters were compared between groups.RESULTS:
The historical cohort included 563 patients and the pandemic cohort had 823 patients. There was no difference in 30-day hospital encounters between patients who completed a video vs. telephone visit in the pandemic cohort (3.8% vs. 7.6%, p = 0.11). There was a lower 30-day hospital encounter rate in pandemic video and telephone visits compared to similar historical sub-groups.CONCLUSION:
Expansion of virtual post-discharge visits to include all patients and telephone calls did not negatively impact rates of 30-day post-discharge hospital encounters. Offering telehealth options for post-discharge follow-up does not appear to have negative impact on healthcare utilization.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Telemedicina
/
COVID-19
Limite:
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Am J Surg
Ano de publicação:
2023
Tipo de documento:
Article