Orthopedics. 2022 Jan-Feb;45(1):e7-e10. doi: 10.3928/01477447-20211124-09. Epub 2021 Dec 2.
As coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) reached pandemic status, in-person orthopedic clinics across the United States were forced to close as many states adopted stay-at-home orders. Previously, the use of telemedicine in orthopedic practices was minimal for a variety of reasons, one being the inability to perform a physical examination in a specialty reliant on direct patient contact for diagnosis and treatment. A prospective cohort of 52 patients consented to participate in a novel virtual physical examination protocol during routine telemedicine visits at a large, tertiary orthopedic spine practice. Participants were asked to perform a series of carefully designed physical maneuvers using readily available household objects to allow their provider to better assess sensory and motor function in the tele-medicine setting. Patients were then asked to complete a short satisfaction survey. In total, 52 patients completed the physical examination and survey. Males and females were distributed evenly among the cohort at 50%. The mean age was 52.1±15.5 years. The average score for ease of understanding the examination (1=easiest, 5=hardest) was 1.1, while the average score for ease of performance was 1.5. Most participants (97.56%) felt their provider was better able to understand their condition using the virtual examination findings. This study highlights the utility of a virtual physical examination for assessment of spine patients in the telemedicine setting. Furthermore, this study illustrates the ease with which such an examination can be implemented and performed to improve patient evaluation and satisfaction. [. 2022;45(1):e7-e10.].
随着 2019 年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）达到大流行状态，由于许多州都颁布了居家令，美国各地的骨科门诊被迫关闭。在此之前，由于各种原因，骨科实践中很少使用远程医疗，其中一个原因是无法在依赖直接与患者接触进行诊断和治疗的专业领域进行体格检查。在一家大型三级骨科脊柱诊所，一项前瞻性队列研究对 52 名患者进行了常规远程医疗访问时采用新的虚拟体格检查方案的意愿调查。参与者被要求使用现成的家用物品进行一系列精心设计的身体动作，以便他们的医生在远程医疗环境中更好地评估感觉和运动功能。然后，患者被要求完成一份简短的满意度调查。总共有 52 名患者完成了体格检查和调查。在队列中，男性和女性的分布均匀，各占 50%。平均年龄为 52.1±15.5 岁。对检查理解难易程度的平均评分为 1.1（1 分表示最简单，5 分表示最难），而对操作难易程度的平均评分为 1.5。大多数参与者（97.56%）认为他们的医生通过虚拟检查结果更好地了解了他们的病情。这项研究强调了虚拟体格检查在远程医疗环境中评估脊柱患者的实用性。此外，这项研究说明了这种检查可以多么容易地实施和执行，以改善患者的评估和满意度。[J Orthop Trauma. 2022;45(1):e7-e10.]。
