Reducing no-show visits and disparities in access: The impact of telemedicine.

Background: No-show visits have serious consequences for patients, providers, and healthcare systems as they lead to delays in care, increased costs, and reduced access to services. Telemedicine has emerged as a promising alternative to in-person visits by reducing travel barriers, but risks exacerbating the digital divide. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of telemedicine (video and phone) at a tertiary care academic center on no-show visits compared to in-person visits.

Improving surgical patient education materials using informational design with visual elements.

Patient education materials (PEMs) serve as a foundation for educating patients and families across all surgical fields but are often not understandable. The National Institute of Health (NIH) recommends that PEMs be written at a grade 6-7 reading level; however, most current materials exceed that measure. Lack of understandable and appropriate surgical PEMs compounds the difficulties that low health literacy patients face with resultant poor surgical outcomes.

Increased Risk of Postoperative Mortality Associated With Prior COVID-19 Infection.

Introduction: The impact of COVID-19 infection on surgical patients is largely described by small-cohort studies. This study characterized the risk factors for postoperative mortality among patients with preoperative COVID-19 infection.

Methods: Data were abstracted from the electronic medical record for patients who tested positive for COVID-19 before surgery, excluding procedures related to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (case, March 2020-April 2021).

Cost-benefit analysis of a patient engagement technology (PET) in cardiac, thoracic, and colorectal surgery.

Background: Patient engagement technologies (PETs) guide patients through perioperative care, but little is known about their costs-benefits.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing elective colorectal, cardiac, thoracic surgery 2015-2020. PET was implemented 2018.

Inequity in Telemedicine Use Among Patients with Cancer in the Deep South During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: Telemedicine use has increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. It remains unclear if its rapid growth exacerbates disparities in healthcare access. We aimed to characterize telemedicine use among a large oncology population in the Deep South during the COVID-19 pandemic.