Telemedicine in Patients With an Ostomy During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Observational Study

Abstract

Italy instituted a lockdown from March 10 to May 3, 2020, due to the coronavirus disease-19 pandemic. All nonessential businesses were closed during this time, and health care services were reorganized. On March 11, the Stoma Care Center started providing telehealth services for patients with a stoma. This retrospective observational study describes the experience of the Stoma Care Center of the University Hospital Federico II, Naples, Italy, before and during the lockdown. Consultation records from January 1 through April 29 were retrieved, patient demographics and reasons for consultation abstracted, and pre-lockdown (January 1 to February 29) and lockdown (March 1 to April 29) information was compared. Patients who used telehealth services were also asked to rate their satisfaction with these services on a scale of 0 (extremely dissatisfied) to 4 (extremely satisfied). The authors analyzed all consultations provided from January to April 2020 and evaluated the use of telemedicine services for patients with an ostomy. Consultations were divided into 2 groups. Group A included consultations provided from January 1 to February 29. Group B included consultations provided from March 1 to April 29, which included the lockdown period. Group B included both in-person and telemedicine consultations. During the pre-lockdown period, 240 in-person consultations were provided. During the lockdown period, 181 in-person and 99 telemedicine consultations were provided. The number of in-person consultations for mechanical bowel preparation and transanal irrigation system training was lower (12.5% vs 6.6% [P = .046] and 3.3% vs 0% [P = .03]), whereas the number of consults for stoma care follow-up and stoma complications was higher (202 [84.1%] vs 266 [95%]). Of the 65 patients who completed the questionnaire, 82% indicated being extremely satisfied. The reorganization of stoma care services, including the availability of telemedicine, did not result in a decrease in the number of consultations provided. The results suggest that stoma care services using telemedicine may provide valid support for patients with an ostomy in the future.