Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Telemedicine Visits in a Pediatric Gastroenterology Service in the Context of COVID-19
Por:
Mas, CA, Calvo-Benet C, Ricard Casadevall Llandrich, Segui, FL, Martín-de-Carpi J and Francisco García Cuyás
Publicada:
1 dic 2022
Resumen:
Background: During the first months of COVID-19, the Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition service of the Hospital Sant Joan de Deu in Barcelona, a leading pediatric center in Spain, introduced a new model of non-face-to-face care. Objective: To evaluate the impact of telephone consultations compared to those conducted face-to-face on healthcare utilization. Methodology: Two main indicators of effectiveness are used: the degree of resolution (percentage of first telemedicine visits that did not generate any new visits in the following 4 and 12 months) and the average number of subsequent visits. A distinction was made between visits for general pathologies (less complex) and those for pathologies treated in monographic consultations (chronic or complex pathologies). Effectiveness at 4 and 12 months was also compared. Results: After 4 months from the first visit, the degree of resolution is lower in the first telemedicine visits than in face-to-face visits for both general pathologies and those of monographic agendas for chronic and complex pathologies. After twelve months, the first general telemedicine visits are less resolute than face-to-face visits, while the resolution rate is the same for chronic and complex pathology visits. Each telemedicine visit generates on average more visits than face-to-face visits. In the short term, 133.4% more in the case of general visits and 51.4% more in the case of chronic and complex visits. In the long term, general telemedicine visits generate 57.31% more visits, while no statistically significant difference is observed between chronic and complex face-to-face and telemedicine visits. Conclusion: The results of this study show that the resolution capacity of the non-face-to-face model in pediatric care in the pandemic context is generally lower and generates more successive visits than the face-to-face model. This lower performance of the telemedicine model should be counterbalanced with its advantages.
Filiaciones:
Mas, CA:
Catalan Minist Hlth, St Joan de Deu Hosp, Barcelona 08950, Spain
Pompeu Fabra Univ CRES UPF, Ctr Res Hlth & Econ, Barcelona 08002, Spain
Calvo-Benet C:
Catalan Minist Hlth, St Joan de Deu Hosp, Barcelona 08950, Spain
Pompeu Fabra Univ CRES UPF, Ctr Res Hlth & Econ, Barcelona 08002, Spain
Ricard Casadevall Llandrich:
Catalan Minist Hlth, St Joan de Deu Hosp, Barcelona 08950, Spain
Segui, FL:
Pompeu Fabra Univ CRES UPF, Ctr Res Hlth & Econ, Barcelona 08002, Spain
Martín-de-Carpi J:
Catalan Minist Hlth, St Joan de Deu Hosp, Barcelona 08950, Spain
Francisco García Cuyás:
Catalan Minist Hlth, St Joan de Deu Hosp, Barcelona 08950, Spain
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