Safety, feasibility, financial implications of postop telemedicine program

Editor's Note

A safe and efficient postoperative telemedicine program is feasible using a commonly used electronic health record system (Epic), and it can improve patient satisfaction, optimize throughput, and increase revenue, this pilot study finds.

After researchers constructed an eClinic platform in Epic, they enrolled 233 patients having laparoscopic cholecystectomy, appendectomy, and hernia repairs in a study comparing the eClinic with the traditional clinic (tClinic) over an 11-month period.

Frequency of readmission, reoperation, and emergency department visits in the eClinic group were similar to the tClinic group. However, total visit time was significantly shorter for the eClinic group (14 vs 145 minutes).

Anonymous surveys found a high degree of patient satisfaction, with 85% saying they want to use the eClinic again. The eClinic program enabled the tClinic to see more new patients, and resulted in additional operative cases and revenue for the healthcare system.