A prospective cohort study: The effects of preoperative E-health on the postoperative course of tonsillectomy patients.

Purpose: At our clinic, a significant portion of tonsillectomy (TE) preoperative assessments are conducted remotely. The aim of our study was to examine the variation in TE complications, contact rates, and reasons for patient contact between those evaluated preoperatively at the outpatient clinic (OPC), or remotely through virtual visits (VV), or via a digital care pathway (DCP). This investigation is critical for optimizing patient flow through the volume-intensive process of TE.

Virtual visits at the Helsinki Head and Neck Center during the COVID-19 pandemic: patient safety incidents and the experiences of patients and staff.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, health care had to find new ways to care for patients while reducing infection transmission. The role of telemedicine role has grown exponentially.

Methods: A questionnaire on experiences and satisfaction was sent to the staff of the Head and Neck Center of Helsinki University Hospital and to otorhinolaryngology patients treated remotely between March and June 2020.

Cost analysis of face-to-face visits, virtual visits, and a digital care pathway in the treatment of tonsillitis patients.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the costs of two different telemedicine-assisted tonsillitis care pathways with traditional face-to-face visits at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery (ORL-HNS) at Helsinki University Hospital.

Methods: We characterized and analyzed the patient flows and their individual episodes of all tonsillitis patients at the Department of ORL-HNS between September 2020 and August 2022. Records were collected by doctors at the clinic.

Otorhinolaryngology Virtual Visits During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A 2-Year Follow-Up Study.

To clarify how successful virtual visits were in different age groups and subspecialties of otorhinolaryngology during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a 2-year follow-up. We examined the progress of treatment and need for face-to-face follow-ups in a retrospective setting. Case records of all the visits marked as virtual between March and June 2020 in Helsinki University Hospital Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (ORL-HNS) were reviewed.

Risk factors for evaluating early mortality after microvascular reconstruction of head and neck cancers.

Background: Free tissue transfer reconstruction carries significant complication rates in surgical head and neck oncology. A registry-based approach offers a possibility to investigate the factors affecting increased morbidity and early mortality, that is, death within 6 months of treatment.

Methods: A retrospective registry review was conducted on a series of 317 consecutive microvascular free tissue transfers in head and neck cancer patients performed during 2013-2017 at the Helsinki University Hospital (Helsinki, Finland).

Complications of COVID-19 Nasopharyngeal Swab Test.

This case series investigates the frequency and type of SARS-CoV-2 nasopharyngeal test complications in Helsinki, Finland.

Analysis of weekend effect on mortality by medical specialty in Helsinki University Hospital over a 14-year period.

Background: The weekend effect, the phenomenon of patients admitted at the weekend having a higher mortality risk, has been widely investigated and documented in both elective and emergency patients. Research on the issue is scarce in Europe, with the exception of the United Kingdom. We examined the situation in Helsinki University Hospital over a 14-year period from a specialty-specific approach.

Root causes of extended length of stay and unplanned readmissions after orthopedic surgery and hand surgery: a retrospective observational cohort study.

Background: While previous studies have evaluated the effect of some patient characteristics (e.g. gender, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class and comorbidity) on outcome in orthopedic and hand day surgery, more detailed information on anesthesia related factors has previously been lacking.

Weekend effect on mortality by medical specialty in six secondary hospitals in the Helsinki metropolitan area over a 14-year period.

Background: The weekend effect is the phenomenon of a patient's day of admission affecting their risk for mortality. Our study reviews the situation at six secondary hospitals in the greater Helsinki area over a 14-year period by specialty, in order to examine the effect of centralization of services on the weekend effect.

Methods: Of the 28,591,840 patient visits from the years 2000-2013 in our hospital district, we extracted in-patients treated only in secondary hospitals who died during their hospital stay or within 30 days of discharge.

Overstay and Readmission in Ear, Nose, and Throat Day Surgery-Factors Affecting Postanesthesia Course.

Aims: Many procedures in ear, nose, and throat (ENT) day surgery are carried out under local anesthesia in Finland, whereas many other countries use general anesthesia. We investigated overstay and readmission rates in local and general anesthesia at Helsinki University Hospital.

Material And Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on ENT (n = 1011) day surgery patients within a 3-month period using the hospital's surgery database to collect data pertaining to anesthesia, overstays, readmissions, and contacts within 30 days of surgery.