Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Rothman Orthopaedic Institute, Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Rothman Orthopaedic Institute, Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2020 Apr;29(4):775-783. doi: 10.1016/j.jse.2019.12.004.
The application of telehealth for surgical follow-up has gained recent exposure in orthopedic care. Although the results following joint arthroplasty are encouraging, the role of telemedicine for postoperative care following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair still needs to be defined. The goal of this study was to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and socioeconomic benefits of telehealth as a platform for postoperative follow-up.
This was a prospective, randomized controlled trial that enrolled 66 patients who underwent follow-up in the office vs. via telemedicine for postoperative visits at 2, 6, and 12 weeks after surgery. Post-visit surveys were administered to patients and physicians via e-mail, and the Student t test and Fisher exact test were used to compare responses.
In total, 58 patients (88%) completed the study (28 telehealth vs. 30 control). Patients in each group demonstrated similar pain scores at each follow-up visit (P = .638, P = .124, and P = .951) and similar overall satisfaction scores (P = .304). Patients in the telehealth group expressed a stronger preference for telehealth than their control counterparts (P < .001). Telehealth visits were less time-consuming from both a patient (P < .001) and physician (P = .002) perspective. Telehealth visits also required less time off work for both patients (P = .001) and caregivers (P < .001).
Patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff surgery were able to receive safe and effective early postoperative follow-up care using telemedicine. The preference for telehealth increased for both surgeons and patients following first-hand experience. The use of a telehealth platform is a reasonable follow-up model to consider for patients seeking convenient and efficient care following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.
远程医疗在骨科护理中的应用最近受到了关注。虽然关节置换术后的效果令人鼓舞，但远程医疗在关节镜肩袖修复术后的术后护理中的作用仍需进一步明确。本研究的目的是评估远程医疗作为术后随访平台的安全性、有效性和社会效益。
这是一项前瞻性、随机对照试验，纳入了 66 例患者，他们在术后 2、6 和 12 周分别在办公室和远程医疗接受随访。通过电子邮件向患者和医生发送随访后调查，使用学生 t 检验和 Fisher 精确检验比较反应。
共有 58 例患者（88%）完成了研究（28 例远程医疗，30 例对照组）。每组患者在每次随访时的疼痛评分相似（P =.638，P =.124，P =.951），总体满意度评分相似（P =.304）。与对照组相比，远程医疗组的患者更倾向于远程医疗（P <.001）。从患者（P <.001）和医生（P =.002）的角度来看，远程医疗就诊的时间更短。远程医疗就诊还减少了患者（P =.001）和照顾者（P <.001）的工作时间损失。
接受关节镜肩袖手术的患者能够通过远程医疗安全有效地接受早期术后随访。在首次体验后，外科医生和患者都更倾向于远程医疗。对于寻求方便、高效的关节镜肩袖修复术后护理的患者，使用远程医疗平台是一种合理的随访模式。
