Looking Through a Different Lens: Patient Satisfaction With Telemedicine in Delivering Pediatric Fracture Care
Introduction: Telemedicine may transform health care by overcoming geographical and travel associated barriers to patient care. This study assesses patient satisfaction with telemedicine for fracture care. Methods: Two groups of patients were compared from suburban/rural Pennsylvania. One group reported to a regional medical center for real time video consultation with a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon facilitated by a physician's assistant. The other group underwent conventional outpatient clinic visits at a tertiary care hospital. The distance between the tertiary care hospital and the regional medical center was 69 miles. New or follow up fracture patients not living in the vicinity of either medical center were included. A satisfaction survey and questionnaire were administered to both groups at the end of their visit. Results: One hundred sixty seven patients returned the questionnaires (66 conventional and 101 telemedicine) Telemedicine visits decreased indirect and direct costs (P 0.032) Travel costs and travel times were lower (P 0.001) in the telemedicine group. Patient satisfaction was similar. Only 8 of 101 patients in the telemedicine cohort preferred their next visit to be a conventional follow up. Discussion: Utilization of video consultation and trained physician assistants to provide pediatric orthopaedic care across suburban/rural areas can increase pediatric orthopaedic surgeon access and decrease travel costs while maintaining patient satisfaction.
Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Global research reviews