Telemedicine versus face-to-face follow up in general surgery: a randomized controlled trial.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Telemedicine provides healthcare to patients at a distance from their treating clinician. There is a lack of high-quality evidence to support the safety and acceptability of telemedicine for postoperative outpatient follow-up. This randomized controlled trial-conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic-aimed to assess patient satisfaction and safety (as determined by readmission, reoperation and complication rates) by telephone compared to face-to-face follow-up after uncomplicated general surgical procedures.

Methods

Patients following laparoscopic appendicectomy or cholecystectomy and laparoscopic or open umbilical or inguinal hernia repairs were randomized to a telephone or face-to-face outpatient clinic. Patient demographics, perioperative details and postoperative

SUBMITTER: Fink T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9826044 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature