Background: COVID-19 shocked global healthcare systems, particularly the surgical services, resulting in a significant backlog of patients with waiting times not expected to return to pre-pandemic levels until 2025. The Royal College of Surgeons has recommended a wider use of virtual clinics to meet the increased demand. The efficacy of virtual follow up is well documented in the literature; however, there is very little evidence of the role of virtual clinics in the assessment of new elective patients.
Methods: Observational study comparing clinical outcomes of new patients electively referred to orthopaedic virtual clinics between January and February 2021 with face-to-face clinics in January and February 2020.
Results: Over the equivalent time frame, more patients were reviewed in virtual clinics compared to traditional face-to-face (821 vs 499). However, virtual clinics lead to significantly more patients being brought back for follow up (78.3% vs 37.3%) and fewer patients received outcomes that progressed their journey towards a definitive intervention or discharge.
Conclusion: The overall benefit of virtual clinic appointments in the context of reviewing new patients remains to be proven. Despite increasing use of virtual clinics in the National Health Service, we have shown a potential delay to patients' clinical progression, ultimately delaying healthcare delivery. Potential methods to improve the benefit of virtual clinics are proposed.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9122882 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2022.05.007 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Generative Artificial Intelligence in Anatomic Pathology.
Arch Pathol Lab Med
January 2025
the Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus (Parwani).
Context.—: Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force in various fields, including anatomic pathology, where it offers the potential to significantly enhance diagnostic accuracy, workflow efficiency, and research capabilities.
Objective.
Impact of lesion preparation-induced calcified plaque defects in vascular intervention for atherosclerotic disease: in silico assessment.
Biomech Model Mechanobiol
January 2025
Cardiac Surgery Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
Percutaneous coronary interventions in highly calcified atherosclerotic lesions are challenging due to the high mechanical stiffness that significantly restricts stent expansion. Intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) is a novel vessel preparation technique with the potential to improve interventional outcomes by inducing microscopic and macroscopic cracks to enhance stent expansion. However, the exact mechanism of action for IVL is poorly understood, and it remains unclear whether the improvement in-stent expansion is caused by either the macro-cracks allowing the vessel to open or the micro-cracks altering the bulk material properties.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe pregnant moms' empowerment program - Mexico enhances mental health for women exposed to intimate partner violence: a pilot randomized controlled trial.
Arch Womens Ment Health
January 2025
Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W. Johnson St, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
Purpose: Given the lack of available and effective interventions to address the detrimental consequences of perinatal exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) on maternal mental health, and reported very low access to IPV-related mental health services in Mexico, we examined the feasibility and efficacy of a culturally adapted, virtual, brief group psychosocial intervention designed to improve maternal mental and physical health and reduce IPV revictimization for pregnant women exposed to IPV. In this pilot randomized controlled trial, we evaluated maternal outcomes after participation in the Pregnant Moms' Empowerment Program (PMEP) in Mexico.
Methods: Women were recruited from social service agencies and health centers in the community, as well as social media advertisements that targeted pregnant women living in Mexico.
Hypnotherapy for Smoking Cessation, Sleep, Pain, and the Potential of Hypnosis Apps.
Int J Clin Exp Hypn
January 2025
Psychology & Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA.
This issue of the provides a systematic review of hypnotherapy for smoking cessation as well as a systematic review of hypnosis apps. These reviews are followed by articles that examine hypnotherapy for sleep disturbances in patients with multiple sclerosis, and provide results from a randomized clinical trial of immersive virtual reality to reduce pain and anxiety in individuals undergoing orthopedic surgery. In addition, an important new study, with findings that suggest a "general factor" may best account for hypnotizability is presented.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImproving students' performance via case-based e-learning.
Front Med (Lausanne)
January 2025
Department of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Background: The integration of interdisciplinary clinical reasoning and decision-making into the medical curriculum is imperative. Novel, high-quality e-learning environments, encompassing virtual clinical and hands-on training, are essential. Consequently, we evaluated the efficacy of a case-based e-learning approach.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!