Virtual postoperative clinic: can we push virtual postoperative care further upstream?

Abstract

Virtual care refers to remote healthcare interactions between patients and health professionals, predominantly using telecommunications networks. Virtual care interactions are a form of information exchange that guides care decisions. These interactions aim to enhance the patient experience and outcomes of care. Healthcare-related virtual care interactions can range from video clinic appointments to remote monitoring.1 The role of virtual care in surgery is rapidly evolving, and the nature of virtual interactions varies according to the phase of the surgical journey—spanning preoperative evaluation and assessment, preparation for surgery, intraoperative care and postoperative care. The history of virtual surgical postoperative care actually goes back several decades. In a cohort of 536 patients with hip fracture published in 1990, telephone contact predicted return of function a year following surgery, likely due to improving patients’ psychological function, reinforcing postoperative medication regimens and encouraging consistent participation in rehabilitation.2 Despite a rapidly evolving technological landscape, telephone contact with patients remains a cornerstone of remote interactions with patients after surgery. In this issue of BMJ Quality & Safety , Healy et al 3 report the results of a randomised controlled trial comparing a telephone-based virtual outpatient clinic with an actual outpatient clinic for the follow-up of general surgery patients 6–8 weeks after discharge from hospital. Of 107 subjects randomised to virtual follow-up, 98 (92%) were successfully contacted by telephone, of which 10 (10%) had postoperative issues and 3 of whom …