TY - JOUR
T1 - Patient perspective on telemedicine replacing physical consultations in urology during the COVID-19 lockdown in Denmark
AU - Heeno, Emma
AU - Biesenbach, Irmelin
AU - Englund, Charlotte
AU - Lund, Martin
AU - Toft, Anja
AU - Lund, Lars
PY - 2021/6
Y1 - 2021/6
N2 - Objective: In March-April 2020, during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic lockdown in Denmark, the Danish Health Authorities recommended that, where possible, face-to-face patient-physician consultations be replaced by telephone consultations. The aim of this study was to obtain patients’ evaluation of their telemedicine experience. Methods: Patients who were candidates for telemedicine consultations were recruited based on their urological ailment, necessity for follow-up and comorbidity. New referrals including patients with suspicion of cancer were not candidates for telemedicine. In total, 548 patients had their appointment altered during the period from 13 March to 30 April 2020. Postal questionnaires were sent to 548 patients and 300 (54.7%) replied. Results: In total, 280 patient answered, 224 (80%) men and 56 (20%) women, mean age 69 years (range 18–91) of whom 180 (64.3%) had a benign and 100 (35.7%) a malignant diagnosis. Twenty (6.7%) respondents did not remember their telephone consultation and were therefore excluded. Telephone consultation satisfaction was reported by 230 (85.0%) patients, but they would not prefer video consultations over telephone consultations, and only 102 (36.4%) would prefer telephone consultations in the future. Patients’ age, sex and distance to the hospital did not seem to be associated with telephone consultation satisfaction (age p = 0.17; sex p = 0.99; distance p = 0.27, respectively). In total, 226 (80.7%) were medically assessed as being at risk for COVID, but 74 (26.4%) subjectively evaluated themselves as being at risk. Conclusions: In general (85.0%), urological patients were satisfied with telephone consultations.
AB - Objective: In March-April 2020, during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic lockdown in Denmark, the Danish Health Authorities recommended that, where possible, face-to-face patient-physician consultations be replaced by telephone consultations. The aim of this study was to obtain patients’ evaluation of their telemedicine experience. Methods: Patients who were candidates for telemedicine consultations were recruited based on their urological ailment, necessity for follow-up and comorbidity. New referrals including patients with suspicion of cancer were not candidates for telemedicine. In total, 548 patients had their appointment altered during the period from 13 March to 30 April 2020. Postal questionnaires were sent to 548 patients and 300 (54.7%) replied. Results: In total, 280 patient answered, 224 (80%) men and 56 (20%) women, mean age 69 years (range 18–91) of whom 180 (64.3%) had a benign and 100 (35.7%) a malignant diagnosis. Twenty (6.7%) respondents did not remember their telephone consultation and were therefore excluded. Telephone consultation satisfaction was reported by 230 (85.0%) patients, but they would not prefer video consultations over telephone consultations, and only 102 (36.4%) would prefer telephone consultations in the future. Patients’ age, sex and distance to the hospital did not seem to be associated with telephone consultation satisfaction (age p = 0.17; sex p = 0.99; distance p = 0.27, respectively). In total, 226 (80.7%) were medically assessed as being at risk for COVID, but 74 (26.4%) subjectively evaluated themselves as being at risk. Conclusions: In general (85.0%), urological patients were satisfied with telephone consultations.
KW - consultations
KW - Covid-19
KW - outpatient clinic
KW - questionnaire
U2 - 10.1080/21681805.2021.1906317
DO - 10.1080/21681805.2021.1906317
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 33974503
AN - SCOPUS:85106282310
SN - 2168-1805
VL - 55
SP - 177
EP - 183
JO - Scandinavian Journal of Urology
JF - Scandinavian Journal of Urology
IS - 3
ER -