Patient and Provider Satisfaction With Telehealth Preanesthesia Examinations

Abstract

PurposeTelehealth has become commonplace in many healthcare systems across the United States. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a large academic medical center in the southeast USA has increased the use of telehealth in the anesthesia department to complete preanesthetic assessments before the patient's surgery. This has allowed high-risk patient populations to limit potential exposure to COVID-19 and limit the financial burden of traveling from neighboring counties to complete their preanesthetic assessment in person. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to evaluate the effectiveness of a preanesthetic assessment via telehealth among patients undergoing anesthesia. DesignA quality improvement project. MethodsTwo separate surveys assessing patient and provider satisfaction with telehealth preanesthesia assessments were developed. Patients undergoing anesthesia at the medical center completed a telehealth preanesthesia assessment and received a satisfaction survey via email post-procedure. Certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) who cared for patients that completed a telehealth preanesthesia assessment also received an emailed satisfaction survey. FindingsResults demonstrate high satisfaction scores for both patients and providers. ConclusionsCurrent telehealth preanesthetic assessments prompt high satisfaction scores, supporting continued, and expanded use.