Barriers associated with failed completion of an acute care general surgery telehealth clinic visit.

Background: A form of telehealth, a surgical electronic clinic (E-clinic, video or telephone visit) is a safe and efficient way for delivering care; however, factors leading to poor clinic utilization are not well-described. This study was performed to gather electronic clinic utilization data and to better define barriers to visit completion.

Methods: A retrospective review of 199 patients cared for by a general surgery service with subsequent referral to the electronic clinic (January 2019 to June 2019) was performed. Data regarding demographics, medical characteristics, travel distance, and postoperative complications were collected. Patients were categorized based upon visit completion. The χ and Fisher exact analyses were performed as appropriate. Reasons for cancellations were categorized.

Results: More than 1/5 of all patients (21.6%) failed to complete the visit. No differences were observed in completion rates according to the type of operation, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification, and age. The failed-completion group had a significantly (P < .05) higher proportion of non-Caucasian patients and those with a marital status of single. Travel distance had no impact. Complication rates were low. Pre-clinic readmission within 30 days contributed to failed completion. Reasons for cancellation included medical issues, technical difficulties, and patient preference to have no follow-up in the electronic clinic.

Conclusion: Several factors contribute to a patient's failure to complete an electronic clinic visit including marital status, medical complications, technical issues, and patient preference. Electronic clinic utilization patterns also demonstrate racial disparities. Successful electronic clinic program implementation requires understanding the factors that contribute to failed visits to address them and improve access.