PD28-03 PREOPERATIVE TELEHEALTH EVALUATION ALONE PRIOR TO UROLOGIC SURGERY: SAFETY, FEASIBILITY, SURGICAL OUTCOMES

Abstract

You have accessJournal of UrologyHealth Services Research: Quality Improvement & Patient Safety I (PD28)1 Sep 2021PD28-03 PREOPERATIVE TELEHEALTH EVALUATION ALONE PRIOR TO UROLOGIC SURGERY: SAFETY, FEASIBILITY, SURGICAL OUTCOMES Raj Bhanvadia, Gianpaolo Carpinito, Yair Lotan, Aditya Bagrodia, Jeffrey Gahan, Vitaly Margulis, Jeffrey Cadeddu, Claus Roehrborn, and Solomon Woldu Raj BhanvadiaRaj Bhanvadia More articles by this author , Gianpaolo CarpinitoGianpaolo Carpinito More articles by this author , Yair LotanYair Lotan More articles by this author , Aditya BagrodiaAditya Bagrodia More articles by this author , Jeffrey GahanJeffrey Gahan More articles by this author , Vitaly MargulisVitaly Margulis More articles by this author , Jeffrey CadedduJeffrey Cadeddu More articles by this author , Claus RoehrbornClaus Roehrborn More articles by this author , and Solomon WolduSolomon Woldu More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000002029.03AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a transition to telehealth in Urology. No study has analyzed urologic surgical outcomes among patients evaluated preoperatively via telehealth only. We compared surgical outcomes between patients who had telehealth only versus in-person preoperative visits prior to urologic surgery. METHODS: Retrospective single center review of all urologic surgeries from April-December 2020. Cases were classified based on whether patients visited preoperatively in person or via telehealth. Major exclusion criteria included having both preoperative in person and telehealth visits. Cases were stratified into four categories for analysis based on CPT coding: Upper Tract Endoscopic (UTE), Lower Tract Endoscopic (LTE), Major Abdominal (MA) (Open/Laparoscopic/Robotic), and Lower Tract Reconstructive (LTR). Covariates of interest included age, sex, race, ASA status, and distance from hospital. Outcomes included need for blood products, complications, operative time, and length of stay (LOS). Complications were identified using reported morbidity and mortality data and organized based on the Clavien-Dindo scale; scores >2 were considered major complications. RESULTS: Table 1 displays demographic and outcomes of interest. 1,405 patients met inclusion criteria with 101 visits being telehealth only. There was no difference in sex, race, and ASA status. Telehealth patients were younger and lived farther away from the hospital and more likely to undergo UTE or MA surgeries compared to in person visits. There was no difference in perioperative complications or transfusion events between groups. Stratified by procedure type, there was no difference operative time or LOS between cohorts for UTE, MA, or LTE surgeries. LTR surgeries were associated with shorter operative times for telehealth patients, but no difference in LOS. CONCLUSIONS: Patients seen preoperatively by telehealth alone experienced no difference in complications or length of stay when undergoing urologic surgery, including major abdominal surgery. Despite limitations in selection bias and its retrospective nature, our study suggests that telehealth based preoperative evaluation is feasible and safe in appropriately selected patients undergoing urologic surgery. Source of Funding: None © 2021 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 206Issue Supplement 3September 2021Page: e521-e521 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2021 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Raj Bhanvadia More articles by this author Gianpaolo Carpinito More articles by this author Yair Lotan More articles by this author Aditya Bagrodia More articles by this author Jeffrey Gahan More articles by this author Vitaly Margulis More articles by this author Jeffrey Cadeddu More articles by this author Claus Roehrborn More articles by this author Solomon Woldu More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Loading ...