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Telemedicine Visits Can Generate Highly Accurate Diagnoses and Surgical Plans for Spine Patients

HumanInsight Telemedicine Visits Can Generate Highly Accurate Diagnoses and Surgical Plans for Spine Patients

Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2022 Jul 1. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0000000000004387. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To (1) assess whether diagnoses and surgical plans established during a new patient telemedicine visit changed following an in-person evaluation and (2) determine any differences in perioperative outcomes between patients who only had a telemedicine visit prior to surgery versus those who had a telemedicine visit followed by an in-person evaluation prior to surgery.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Data on capability of telemedicine to deliver high-quality preoperative assessment without a traditional in-person interaction and physical exam is lacking.

METHODS: Records of patients who had a new patient telemedicine visit and indicated for surgery with documented specific diagnosis as well as surgical plans from a spine department at an urban tertiary center from April 2020 - April 2021 were reviewed. For a subset of patients that had a follow-up in-person evaluation prior to surgery, these diagnoses and plans were compared. Perioperative outcomes were compared between patients who only had a telemedicine visit prior to surgery versus those who had a telemedicine visit followed by an in-person evaluation prior to surgery.

RESULTS: A total of 166 patients were included. Of these, 101 patients (61%) only had a new patient telemedicine visit prior to surgery while 65 (39%) had a telemedicine visit followed by an in-person evaluation. There were no differences in the rate of case cancellations prior to surgery and patient-reported outcome measures between these two groups (P>0.05). Of 65 patients who had both a telemedicine followed by an in-person visit, the diagnosis was unchanged for 61 patients (94%) and the surgical plan did not change for 52 patients (80%). The main reason for surgical plan change was due to updated findings on new imaging, 10 patients, (77%).

CONCLUSIONS: The current study suggests that telemedicine evaluations can provide an effective means of preoperative assessment for spine patients.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3.

PMID:35797655 | DOI:10.1097/BRS.0000000000004387

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