Feasibility of postop follow-up with telehealth

Editor's Note

Telehealth postoperative follow-up may be feasible for patients having select abdominal, neck, and skin/soft tissue procedures with uncomplicated courses, duration of stay less than 4 days, and no interval contact with the operative team, finds this study.

The study included 251 veterans who had general surgery. A total of 119 (47%) had telehealth amenable follow-up, including 70% of simple abdominal procedures, 75% of neck procedures, and 38% of skin/soft tissue procedures.

Patients with postoperative stays of 4 days or more were less likely to be amenable for telehealth follow-up.

Most patients (81%) who initiated contact with the operative team between discharge and follow-up did not have telehealth-amenable follow-up.