In-person Clinical Encounters Research Articles

Impact of facilitating continued accessibility to cancer care during COVID-19 lockdown on perceived wellbeing of cancer patients at a rural cancer center in Rwanda.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in Rwanda, Partners In Health Inshuti Mu Buzima collaborated with the Butaro Cancer Center of Excellence (BCCOE) to mitigate disruptions to cancer care by providing patients with free transportation to treatment sites and medication delivery at patients' local health facilities. We assessed the relationship between facilitated access to care and self-reported wellbeing outcomes. This cross-sectional telephone survey included cancer patients enrolled at BCCOE in March 2020. We used linear regression to compare six dimensions of quality of life (EORTC QLQ-C30), depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), and financial toxicity (COST) among patients who did and did not receive facilitated access to care. We also assessed access to cancer care and whether patient wellbeing and its association with facilitated access to care differed by socioeconomic status. Of 214 respondents, 34.6% received facilitated access to care. Facilitated patients were more likely to have breast cancer and be on chemotherapy. Facilitation was significantly associated with more frequent in-person clinical encounters, improved perceived quality of cancer care, and reduced transportation-related barriers. Facilitated patients had significantly better global health status (β = 9.14, 95% CI: 2.3, 16.0, p <0.01) and less financial toxicity (β = 2.62, 95% CI: 0.2,5.0, p = 0.03). However, over half of patients reported missing or delaying appointment. Patient wellbeing was low overall and differed by patient socioeconomic status, with poor patients consistently showing worse outcomes. Socioeconomic status did not modify the association between facilitated access to care and wellbeing indicators. Further, facilitation did not lead to equitable wellbeing outcomes between richer and poorer patients. Facilitated access to care during COVID-19 pandemic was associated with some improvements in access to cancer care and patient wellbeing. However, cancer patients still experienced substantial disruptions to care and reported low overall levels of wellbeing, with socioeconomic disparities persisting despite facilitated access to care. Implementing more robust, equity-minded facilitation and better patient outreach programs during health emergencies may promote better care and strengthen patient care overall and effect better patients' outcomes.

Comparison of patients' perceptions of family physicians' patient-centeredness between virtual and in-person clinical encounters: A cross-sectional study.

A clinician's patient-centeredness is a core construct of quality healthcare and is associated with several positive patient outcomes. This study aimed to compare patient-perceived patient centeredness between in-person and virtual clinical encounters during the coronavirus pandemic. Participants completed an online anonymous questionnaire pertaining to a recent clinical encounter. Patients of an academic family medicine teaching clinic scheduled for either an in-person or a virtual clinical encounter were recruited by phone over a two-month period. Using the patient-centered clinical method as a conceptual framework, patient-perceived patient centeredness was measured by the Patient-Perceived Patient-Centeredness Questionnaire-Revised (PPPC-R), consisting of 18 items that reflect three factors (healthcare process, context and relationship, and roles). The sample consisted of 72 participants. There was no difference in the PPPC-R scores between participants who received in-person and those who received virtual care. However, the mean ranks for the PPPC-R total score and for all three factors were higher for participants who saw a family physician compared to participants who saw a family medicine learner. Family physicians provided similar quality healthcare, measured through a patient-perceived patient-centeredness lens, via both virtual and in-person appointments. These results support sustaining virtual care when deemed appropriate by both patient and clinician.

The Role of Technology in Ophthalmic Surgical Education During COVID-19.

To describe the effect of COVID-19 on ophthalmic training programs and to review the various roles of technology in ophthalmology surgical education including virtual platforms, novel remote learning curricula, and the use of surgical simulators. COVID-19 caused significant disruption to in-person clinical and surgical patient encounters. Ophthalmology trainees worldwide faced surgical training challenges due to social distancing restrictions, trainee redeployment, and reduction in surgical case volume. Virtual platforms, such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams, were widely used during the pandemic to conduct remote teaching sessions. Novel virtual wet lab and dry lab curricula were developed. Training programs found utility in virtual reality surgical simulators, such as the Eyesi, to substitute experience lost from live patient surgical cases. Although several of these described technologies were incorporated into ophthalmology surgical training programs prior to COVID-19, the pandemic highlighted the importance of developing a formal surgical curriculum that can be delivered virtually. Novel telementoring, collaboration between training institutions, and hybrid formats of didactic and practical training sessions should be continued. Future research should investigate the utility of augmented reality and artificial intelligence for trainee learning.

Telerehabilitation as a Method for Achieving Competencies in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Residency Training in a Developing Country: A Protocol for a Pilot Mixed-Methods Study.

BackgroundIn the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) residents in a developing country continue to face a lack of in-person clinical exposure and learning opportunities. With the unprecedented shift to virtual care, it remains uncertain whether residents can achieve PRM competencies using telerehabilitation as a method of instruction.ObjectiveTo determine the PRM residents' ability to achieve competencies through telerehabilitation, as perceived by different stakeholders (residents, chief residents, training officers, and department heads).MethodsThis will be a pilot mixed-methods study, employing concurrent triangulation, in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine in one large private medical center and one large government hospital in Manila, Philippines. There will be two phases of online data collection upon approval by their respective research ethics board. The first phase will involve an online Likert-scale questionnaire to obtain the residents' self-perceived attainment of competencies and learning of PRM topics and skills specified by the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine and the Philippine Board of Rehabilitation Medicine. The results of the survey will then be summarized and presented in a focus group discussion (FGD) with the department heads, training officers, and chief residents of the two institutions in an attempt to explain the residents' perceptions on their competencies achieved through virtual care. Afterwards, the qualitative data obtained from the FGD will then be thematically analyzed, and mixed methods integration will be employed to generate knowledge and recommendations.DiscussionIt is hypothesized that the majority of the residents had little to no experience with telerehabilitation pre-pandemic. Suddenly telerehabilitation was used to augment clinical training during the pandemic. It is uncertain whether telerehabilitation can help residents achieve competencies in the different domains of training, namely: patient safety and quality patient care; medical knowledge and procedural skills; interpersonal and communication skills; practice- and systems-based learning and improvement; reintegration of people with disabilities into the society; medical ethics and public health; quality assurance; policies of care and prevention for disabled people; and professionalism. The study results can provide insights on the aspects of a PRM curriculum that may have to be modified to ensure the training program is sensitive and appropriate to the changing training needs of the residents amid the pandemic and similar crises that may disrupt in-person clinical encounters in the future.

Comparable Quality Performance of Acute Low-Back Pain Care in Telemedicine and Office-Based Cohorts.

Introduction: Back pain is among the most common presentations in primary care offices. National organizations have standardized the appropriate use of imaging for acute low-back pain (LBP). The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of imaging in LBP between telemedicine and in-person clinical encounters. Methods: This retrospective cohort compared secondary data from 20,624 telemedicine and office encounters in a large nonprofit health system from July 1, 2019, to June 30, 2021. The proportion of patients aged 18-50 years who did not receive imaging for acute LBP (X-ray, computed tomography, or magnetic resonance imaging) within 28 days of the provider encounter was measured according to Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set specifications. Performance was compared across race, ethnicity, age, body mass index, overall risk score, and insurance type. Chi-squared tests determined significant differences between cohorts (p < 0.05). Results: Patients seen via telemedicine had significantly lower rates of imaging within 28 days of their physician encounter (office: 16.32%, telemedicine: 11.20%; difference: 5.12%; p < 0.01). This was consistent across racial, ethnic, and risk score subgroups. Discussion: For practices and health systems, telemedicine might be a higher value approach for initial evaluation of acute LBP in primary care. For policy makers, telemedicine can save on health care costs without negatively impacting quality performance measures. Conclusions: Telemedicine is unlikely to compromise quality of acute LBP care, supporting this virtual space as an alternative care venue. The most beneficial use of telemedicine might be triaging initial encounters of acute LBP in primary care. Stronger evidence could support its long-term potential for driving value through cost savings.

Real-World Outcomes in Cystic Fibrosis Telemedicine Clinical Care in a Time of a Global Pandemic

BackgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Virginia adult cystic fibrosis (CF) center transitioned from in-person clinical encounters to a model that included interdisciplinary telemedicine. The pandemic presented an unprecedented opportunity to assess the impact of the interdisciplinary telemedicine model on clinical CF outcomes.Research QuestionWhat are the clinical outcomes of a care model that includes interdisciplinary telemedicine (IDC-TM) compared with in-person clinical care for patients with CF during the COVID-19 pandemic?Study Design and MethodsAdults with CF were included. The prepandemic year was defined as March 17, 2019, through March 16, 2020, and the pandemic year (PY) was defined as March 17, 2020, through March 16, 2021. Patients were enrolled starting in the PY. Prepandemic data were gathered retrospectively. Telemedicine visits were defined as clinical encounters via secured video communication. Hybrid visits were in-person evaluations by physician, with in-clinic video communication by other team members. In-person visits were encounters with in-person providers only. All encounters included previsit screening. Outcomes were lung function, BMI, exacerbations, and antibiotic use. FEV1 percent predicted, exacerbations, and antibiotic use were adjusted for the effect of elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor treatment.ResultsOne hundred twenty-four patients participated. One hundred ten patients were analyzed (mean age, 35 years; range, 18-69 years). Ninety-five percent had access to telemedicine (n = 105). Telemedicine visits accounted for 64% of encounters (n = 260), hybrid visits with telemedicine support accounted for 28% of encounters (n = 114), and in-person visits accounted for 7% of encounters (n = 30). No difference in lung function or exacerbation rate during the PY was found. BMI increased from 25 to 26 kg/m2 (t100 = –4.72; P < .001). Antibiotic use decreased from 316 to 124 episodes (z = 8.81; P < .0001).InterpretationThis CF care model, which includes IDC-TM, successfully monitored lung function and BMI, identified exacerbations, and followed guidelines-based care during the pandemic. A significant decrease in antibiotic use suggests that social mitigation strategies were protective.Trial RegistryClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT04402801; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov.

Association of Patient Characteristics With Delivery of Ophthalmic Telemedicine During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Telemedicine has been shown to have had reduced uptake among historically marginalized populations within multiple medical specialties during the COVID-19 pandemic. An evaluation of health disparities among patients receiving ophthalmic telemedical care during the pandemic is needed. To evaluate disparities in the delivery of ophthalmic telemedicine at Massachusetts Eye and Ear (MEE) during the COVID-19 pandemic. This retrospective, cross-sectional study analyzed clinical visits at a single tertiary eye care center (MEE) from January 1 to December 31, 2020. Patients who had ophthalmology and optometry clinical visits at the MEE during the study period were included. Telemedicine vs in-person clinical encounters. Variables associated with use of ophthalmic telemedicine during the study period. A total of 2262 telemedicine ophthalmic encounters for 1911 patients were included in the analysis. The median age of the patients was 61 (interquartile range, 43-72) years, and 1179 (61.70%) were women. With regard to race and ethnicity, 87 patients (4.55%) identified as Asian; 128 (6.70%), as Black or African American; 23 (1.20%), as Hispanic or Latino; and 1455 (76.14%), as White. On multivariate analysis, factors associated with decreased receipt of telemedical care included male sex (odds ratio [OR], 0.86; 95% CI, 0.77-0.96), Black race (OR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.56-0.86), not speaking English (OR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.48-0.81), educational level of high school or less (OR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.71-0.97), and age (OR per year of age, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.989-0.998). When comparing telephone- and video-based telemedicine visits, decreased participation in video-based visits was associated with age (OR per year of age, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.94-0.98), educational level of high school or less (OR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.29-0.99), being unemployed (OR, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.12-0.68), being retired (OR, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.10-0.42), or having a disability (OR, 0.09; 95% CI, 0.04-0.23). The findings of this cross-sectional study, though limited to retrospective data from a single university-based practice, suggest that historically marginalized populations were less likely to receive ophthalmic telemedical care compared with in-person care during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US. Understanding the causes of these disparities might help those who need access to virtual care.

P58. Telemedicine visits generate accurate interventional procedure plans in spine patients without in person evaluations

<h3>BACKGROUND CONTEXT</h3> The role of telemedicine in the evaluation and treatment of patients with spinal disorders is rapidly expanding. Health systems are working to understand the potential of this modality and optimally leverage telemedicine for spine service line care delivery. Specifically, the ability of pain management specialists (eg, physiatry and anesthesia) to accurately diagnose and plan appropriate interventional spine procedures based on virtual visits remains to be established. <h3>PURPOSE</h3> To assess whether spine procedure plans established solely from virtual visits changed following in person evaluation. <h3>STUDY DESIGN/SETTING</h3> Retrospective cohort study. <h3>PATIENT SAMPLE</h3> We evaluated the records of new patients who were seen virtually between March-June 2020, who were indicated for interventional spine procedures with documented procedure plans, and who subsequently underwent in-person evaluation prior to the procedure. <h3>OUTCOME MEASURES</h3> The primary outcome of interest was agreement between procedure plans generated by new virtual visit encounters and subsequent in-person evaluations. Secondarily, we characterized virtual physical exam variability across interventional spine specialists. <h3>METHODS</h3> We reviewed virtual and in-person clinical encounters from our academic health system's 10 interventional spine specialists (anesthesiology and physiatry). We included patients who were seen exclusively via telemedicine encounters and indicated for an interventional procedure with documented procedural plans. Virtual plans were compared to procedures performed following in person evaluation. Demographic data, patient primary complaint, and the extent of physical examination performed by the interventional spine specialist were also recorded. <h3>RESULTS</h3> Of the 87 patients included, the pre-procedural plan established by telemedicine did not change for 76 individuals (87%; 95% CI 0.79, 0.94) following in-person evaluation. There was wide variability in the use and extent of virtual physical exams performed by interventional providers. <h3>CONCLUSIONS</h3> Our findings indicate that telemedicine evaluations are an accurate means of pre-procedural assessment and demonstrate the capabilities of telemedicine in the evaluation of spine patients and the planning of interventional spine procedures. <h3>FDA DEVICE/DRUG STATUS</h3> This abstract does not discuss or include any applicable devices or drugs.

Interventional procedure plans generated by telemedicine visits in spine patients are rarely changed after in-person evaluation

Background and objectivesThe role of telemedicine in the evaluation and treatment of patients with spinal disorders is rapidly expanding, brought on largely by the COVID-19 pandemic. Within this context, the...

COVID-19 and Telenutrition: Remote Consultation in Clinical Nutrition Practice.

ABSTRACTDuring the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, clinical dietitians, as other clinicians, have had to shift their elective in-person clinical encounters to online consultations. Adequate planning and use of tools are essential to minimize delay in delivering medical nutrition therapy to existing and new clients. This article describes the steps required to launch a successful e-nutrition clinic during these times of crisis.During Covid-19 pandemic, clinical dietitians have had to shift their elective in-person clinical encounters to online consultations. This article describes the steps required to launch a successful telenutrition clinic.

Surgical plans generated from telemedicine visits are rarely changed after in-person evaluation in spine patients

The role of telemedicine within the realm of spine surgery is evolving, catalyzed by the recent pandemic. Specifically, the capability of this technology to provide high-quality, cost-effective care without an in-person interaction and physical examination remains poorly defined. To characterize the impact of telemedicine on spine surgical planning by assessing whether surgical plans established in virtual visits changed following in-person evaluation. Retrospective cohort study. We evaluated the records of patients who were indicated for surgery with documented specific surgical plans during a virtual encounter (March-July 2020) and underwent subsequent in-person evaluation prior to surgery. We determined whether surgical plans changed between the virtual encounter and the in-person interaction. Secondarily, we reviewed use of the virtual physical examination across surgeons. We reviewed virtual and in-person clinical encounters from a single academic spine division, evaluating those patients who were seen exclusively via telemedicine encounters and indicated for surgery with documented specific surgical plans. These plans were compared to the surgical plan after these same patients underwent in-person evaluation. Demographic data, patient primary complaint, and the type and extent of physical examination performed by the surgeon were recorded. Of the 33 patients included, the surgical plan did not change among 31 individuals (94%) following in-person interaction. For the two patients where surgical plans were modified, multilevel fusions were increased by one level. There was notable inter- and intra-surgeon variability with regard to the use of virtual physical exams. Our findings suggest that telemedicine evaluations are efficient means of preoperative assessment of spine patients and delineation of surgical plans. These results may support innovations that can optimize access to care for patients.

Systematic review of telemedicine in spine surgery.

The use of telemedicine (TM) has long been available, but recent restrictions to hospitals due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have accelerated the global implementation of TM. However, evidence on the effectiveness of this technology for the care of spine surgery patients is limited. In this systematic review the authors aimed to examine the current utilization of TM for spine surgery. Using PubMed, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library, the authors performed a systematic review of the literature focused on the themes of telemedicine and spine surgery. Included in the search were randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, and case-controlled studies. Two independent reviewers conducted the study appraisal, data abstraction, and quality assessments of the studies. Out of 1463 references from the initial search results, 12 studies met the inclusion criteria. The majority of TM interventions focused on improving perioperative patient communication and patient education by using mobile phone apps, online surveys, or online materials for consent. The studies reported the feasibility of the use of TM for perioperative care and positive user experiences from the patients. The current increase in TM adoption due to the COVID-19 crisis presents an opportunity to further develop and validate this technology. Early evidence in the literature supports the use of TM as an adjunct to traditional in-person clinical encounters for certain perioperative tasks such as supplemental patient education and postoperative surveys.

Rapid transitional response to the COVID-19 pandemic by opioid agonist treatment programs in Ukraine

On March 16, 2020, Ukraine's Ministry of Health issued nonspecific interim guidance to continue enrolling patients in opioid agonist therapies (OAT) and transition existing patients to take-home dosing to reduce community COVID-19 transmission. Though the number of OAT patients increased modestly, the proportion receiving take-home dosing increased from 57.5% to 82.2%, which translates on average to 963,952 fewer clinic interactions annually (range: 728,652–1,016,895) and potentially 80,329 (range: 60,721–84,741) fewer hours of in-person clinical encounters. During the transition, narcologists (addiction specialists) expressed concerns about overdoses, the guidance contradicting existing legislation, and patient dropout, either from incarceration or inadequate public transportation. Though clinicians did observe some overdoses, short-term overall mortality remained similar to the previous year. As the country relaxes the interim guidance, we do not know to what extent governmental guidance or clinical practice will change to adopt the new guidance permanently or revert to pre-guidance regulations. Some future considerations that have come from COVID-19 are should dosing schedules continue to be flexible, should clinicians adopt telehealth, and should there be more overdose education and naloxone distribution? OAT delivery has improved and become more efficient, but clinicians should plan long-term should COVID-19 return in the near future. If the new efficiencies are maintained, it will free the workforce to further scale up OAT.

American College of Physicians Ethical Guidance for Electronic Patient-Physician Communication: Aligning Expectations.

Communication is critical to strong patient-physician relationships and high-quality health care. In recent years, advances in health information technology have altered how patients and doctors interact and communicate. Increasingly, e-communication outside of in-person clinical encounters occurs in many ways, including through e-mail, patient-portals, texting, and messaging applications. This American College of Physicians (ACP) position paper provides ethics and professionalism guidance for these forms of e-communication to help maintain trust in patient-physician relationships and the profession and alignment between patient and physician expectations.

Bilateral Norrie's disease in identical twins.

A case of Norrie's disease in an identical twins is reported. No positive family history was obtained. The couple had no other children. The older of the twins died at the age of 9 months of uncertain cause. To the best of my knowledge this is the first case of Norrie's disease reported in Malaysia. And its occurrence in an identical twins is very rare.