to Determine Whether Patient Satisfaction With Postoperative Telehealth Follow-up is Non-inferior to In-person Clinic Visits
Conditions
Keywords
telehealth, minimally invasive gynecologic surgery, hysterectomy, myomectomy, excision of endometriosis, laparoscopic surgeries, robotic surgeries, adnexal surgery
Brief summary
Telehealth, or telemedicine, utilizes technology to deliver clinical care remotely, either in real time or asynchronously, between clinician and patient. Telemedicine has been successfully implemented to increase healthcare delivery for patients in rural areas with otherwise long travel times, and studies have also determined that telemedicine can increase patient satisfaction scores while simultaneously decreasing direct and indirect costs for patients. Previous scholarship has demonstrated that telemedicine can be a safe alternative to face-to-face postoperative visits for surgical patients, streamlining recovery with no significant delays in the diagnosis of surgical complications. As healthcare systems continue to emphasize value-based care, it is important to assess whether virtual postoperative visits effectively meet patient needs while optimizing resource utilization. Patient-reported outcomes and satisfaction surveys can help identify potential gaps in care and ensure that telehealth is implemented in a way to maximize both efficiency and quality. Our primary objective is to determine whether patient satisfaction with postoperative telehealth follow-up is non-inferior to in-person clinic visits.
Interventions
None listed
Sponsors
University of Chicago
Study design
Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
1. Participant has provided written informed consent. 2. Women over the age of 18. 3. Ability for patients to complete telehealth visits (i.e. working telephone or internet access) and speak and understand English. 4. Laparoscopic or robotic surgeries including: excision of endometriosis, adnexal surgery with oophorectomy or cystectomy, myomectomy, and hysterectomy. 5. Undergoing minimally invasive gynecologic surgeries with complex pelvic surgeons (AAGL fellowship-trained).
Exclusion criteria
1. Conversion to open surgery. 2. Malignancy noted intraoperatively or on final pathology evaluation. 3. Surgeon or patient preference for in person clinic follow up. 4. Pregnancy - pregnancy tests will be completed as part of routine preoperative care on the day of surgery
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Patient satisfaction with surgery and postoperative visits | 3 months | Satisfaction scores will be compiled from participant responses to the Surgical-Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (S-CAHPS) questionnaire. This questionnaire was developed by the American College of Surgeons and includes seven composites: (1) information to help prepare for surgery, (2) surgeon communication preoperatively, (3) surgeon attentiveness on the day of surgery, (4) information to help during recovery, (5) surgeon communication after surgery, (6) qualities of office staff, and (7) an overall surgeon rating. Specific attention will be paid to participant ratings of items 4, 5, and 7. |
| Patient satisfaction with virtual care delivery | 3 months | Satisfaction scores will be compiled from responses to the Telehealth Usability Questionnaire (TUQ): a validated tool of 21 questions used to assess patients' and providers' perceptions of telehealth systems. It evaluates domains such as ease of use, interface quality, interaction quality, reliability, and overall satisfaction, providing a structured way to measure and improve telehealth user experience (graded on a 5-point Likert scale). |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Additional healthcare utilization and adverse events | 3 months | Patient safety will be gauged by proxy via measurement of additional healthcare utilization by participants during the follow-up interval; specifically, the number of hospital re-admissions, emergency department or urgent care visits, and unscheduled clinic visits. Additionally, incidence of reoperation, blood transfusion, and wound infections will be tracked. |
| Incidence of common postoperative outcomes | 3 months | Clinical outcomes will be evaluated by a standardized institutional postoperative questionnaire which queries patients about common postoperative symptoms including return of bowel function, return of appetite, use of additional pain medications, fevers, and vaginal bleeding. |
| Postoperative pain | 3 months | Pain scores will be tabulated using the Short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire 2 |
Countries
United States
Contacts
CONTACTJosef Jackson, MD
CONTACTSumeyra Agambayev, MS
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORLaura Douglass, MD
University of Chicago
Outcome results
None listed