Telemedicine in otolaryngology outpatient setting—single Center Head and Neck Surgery experience

Objectives/Hypothesis

We present our experience with telemedicine visits in an otolaryngology outpatient setting within our institution's Center for Head and Neck Surgery.

Study Design

Retrospective chart review.

Methods

A review of telemedicine outpatient encounters examining patient demographics, visit type, and wait times was conducted. Internet-based navigation applications were used to calculate travel distance and estimate commute time to our clinic. Patient survey responses were reviewed.

Results

Two hundred fifty telemedicine encounters were reviewed between December 2015 and June 2017. The average age of patients was 50 years (range, 4–87 years). Patients waited an average of 10 minutes for their telemedicine appointments and avoided an average estimated commute time of 78 minutes (64 miles). The majority of visits were postoperative encounters (70%). Clinical follow-up of recent results or nonpostoperative complaints accounted for the remaining 30% of visits. All patients were offered a post-telemedicine survey, and 78 (31%) completed the survey. Of the respondents, 95% of patients reported that they were satisfied with their visit. Among patients who were dissatisfied, wait time and technical issues were cited as reasons.

Conclusions

With appropriate patient selection, telemedicine is an effective way to safely conduct outpatient clinic visits while maintaining high patient satisfaction. It can be particularly useful for institutions with large catchment areas to minimize travel times and increase ease of communication.

Level of Evidence

4. Laryngoscope, 2018

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