Readmission rates similar after remote, in-person postop visits

Editor's Note

Risk of readmission was similar in cancer patients who had postoperative telemedicine and in-person visits, this study finds.

Researchers from the University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, retrospectively analyzed 535 patients who had inpatient elective cancer-related surgery from March to December 2020. Of these, 98 (18.5%) had an initial postoperative visit via telemedicine.

The overall readmission rate within 90 days was 11.2% (60 patients). The readmission rate for those who had postoperative telemedicine visits was 16.5%, compared to 16.3% for those who had in-person visits.

The researchers concluded that telemedicine postoperative visits did not increase the risk of readmission, length of readmission, or severity of complications, compared with in-person visits after inpatient cancer surgery.