Telemedicine for pediatric surgical outpatient follow-up: A prospective, randomized single-center trial
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In brief
In brief
Randomized trial of 224 pediatric surgery patients comparing video telemedicine versus in-person clinic follow-up. Telemedicine demonstrated high caregiver acceptance, adequate data transmission quality for clinical assessment, and superior interaction quality scores (77.8% vs 48%) without missing important clinical findings.
Written by the GCMD Library team from the article.
Background and purpose
Telemedicine is gaining popularity for a variety of indications. We performed a randomized controlled trial comparing telemedical versus conventional clinic follow-up in terms of feasibility and quality.
Methods
Patients discharged from pediatric surgery were randomized to telemedical or onsite follow-up. In the telemedical group, video telephony was used to obtain interim history and physical findings. Onsite patients were personally seen in the outpatient clinic. Caregivers completed a postvisit survey on satisfaction and efficiency. Providers scored data transmission quality and clinical interpretability.
Results
From March 2015 until January 2017, 224 patients were randomized equally to the study groups. Telemedicine was highly accepted by caregivers, and data transmission quality was sufficient for comprehensive follow-up. No important clinical findings were missed. Quality of interaction scored higher in the telemedical versus the onsite group (77.8% vs. 48%, p