How Does Telemedicine Compare to Conventional Follow-Up After General Surgery?
Cremades M, Ferret G, Parés D, et al. Telemedicine to follow patients in a general surgery department: A randomized controlled trial. Am J Surg. 2020 March 26;S0002-9610(20)30179-3.
Applications for Clinical Practice
With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the integration of telemedicine capabilities into hospital systems is becoming more widespread and is proceeding at an accelerated pace. This study provides evidence that telemedicine is a feasible and acceptable complementary service to facilitate postoperative management in selected general surgery patients. Assuming that the needed technology and appropriate program training are available, telemedicine should be offered to patients, especially to maximize savings in terms of travel, time, and cost. However, the option for conventional (in-person) follow-up should remain, particularly in cases where there may be barriers to successful follow-up visits via telemedicine, including limited digital literacy, lack of access to necessary equipment, language/communication barriers, complex follow-up treatment, and difficulties in describing or showing complications in the surgical area.
–Katrina F. Mateo, PhD, MPH
