Reider-Demer Melissa, Raja Pushpa, Martin Neil, Schwinger Mariel, Babayan Diana
Department of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
VA National Quality Scholars Program, VA Greater Los Angeles System, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Neurosurg Rev. 2018 Apr;41(2):497-501. doi: 10.1007/s10143-017-0878-0. Epub 2017 Jul 22.
Existing literature suggests that use of telemedicine during postoperative appointments can increase access to care and is valued by patients and providers alike. While research examining the clinical equivalency of telemedicine visits for postoperative care has been growing, few studies have reported on telemedicine follow-up after neurosurgery. This study examined if a videoconferencing visit could substitute for an in-person clinic visit for elective neurosurgical cases in the USA. This was a single-center prospective study of patients who underwent elective neurosurgical procedures (aneurysm clipping, resection of cavernous angiomas, resection of arterial venous malformation, microvascular decompression for trigeminal neuralgia and hemifacial spasm, and certain benign brain tumors) and were offered telemedicine follow-up care by an allied health professional during the first 90 days after neurosurgery. Prospective data was compared to a historical group of patients who underwent the same procedures and received in-person postoperative follow-up. Patients in the prospective group were contacted by telephone 2-6 weeks after surgery by a nurse practitioner and assessed using a standard template that included incidence of reported postoperative seizures, fever, and performance of activities of daily living. Primary outcome measures included percentage of patients accepting telemedicine, clinical and functional status, complications, patient satisfaction, patient travel time and distance, and rates of emergency room care or hospitalization within 90 days of discharge. Ninety-nine patients were included in the study, with 57 in the prospective group and 42 in the historical group. Of the 57 prospective patients, 47 accepted telemedicine in lieu of an in-person clinic visit. Emergency room visits and readmission rates at 30 and 90 days postoperatively did not differ significantly between the study groups, nor was there any significant difference in clinical variables that were recorded in the electronic medical record more than 80% of the time. This study demonstrates the safety and value of telemedicine as an alternative method of postoperative clinical care for patients undergoing elective neurosurgery. Telemedicine avoids unnecessary travel time and was welcomed by the majority of patients without compromising clinical or functional outcomes.
现有文献表明,术后预约时使用远程医疗可以增加医疗服务的可及性,患者和医护人员都对其予以重视。虽然关于术后护理远程医疗问诊临床等效性的研究不断增加,但很少有研究报道神经外科手术后的远程医疗随访情况。本研究调查了在美国,视频会议问诊能否替代择期神经外科病例的门诊面诊。这是一项单中心前瞻性研究,研究对象为接受择期神经外科手术(动脉瘤夹闭术、海绵状血管瘤切除术、动静脉畸形切除术、三叉神经痛和面肌痉挛微血管减压术以及某些良性脑肿瘤手术)的患者,术后前90天由一名专职医疗人员为其提供远程医疗随访护理。将前瞻性数据与接受相同手术并接受门诊术后随访的历史患者组进行比较。前瞻性组的患者在术后2 - 6周由一名执业护士通过电话联系,并使用标准模板进行评估,该模板包括报告的术后癫痫发作、发热情况以及日常生活活动表现。主要结局指标包括接受远程医疗的患者百分比、临床和功能状态、并发症、患者满意度、患者出行时间和距离以及出院后90天内的急诊护理或住院率。99名患者纳入研究,前瞻性组57例,历史组42例。57例前瞻性患者中,47例接受远程医疗替代门诊面诊。研究组之间术后30天和90天的急诊就诊率和再入院率无显著差异,电子病历中记录时间超过80%的临床变量也无显著差异。本研究证明了远程医疗作为择期神经外科手术患者术后临床护理替代方法的安全性和价值。远程医疗避免了不必要的出行时间,受到大多数患者的欢迎,且不影响临床或功能结局。