Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common medical condition, particularly after surgical interventions. Many studies have shown that development of VTE, including both deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), is more common in surgical patients with cancer than in patients without cancer. This chapter focuses on VTE in brain tumor patients, including their pathogenesis, presentation, diagnosis, and treatment. Topics discussed included a brief overview of VTE followed by an in-depth discussion of the VTE risks brain tumor patients face in the post-operative period. We conclude with a summary of various recommendations on VTE prophylaxis and a discussion of the controversial nature of VTE chemoprophylaxis for patients undergoing transcranial operations for brain tumors.
Introduction
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many medical providers have turned to telemedicine as an alternative method to provide ambulatory patient care. Perspectives of endocrine surgery patients regarding this mode of healthcare delivery remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the opinions and perspectives of endocrine surgery patients regarding telemedicine.
Methods
The first 100 adult patients who had their initial telemedicine appointment with two endocrine surgeons were contacted at the conclusion of their visit. The survey administered assessed satisfaction with telemedicine, the provider, and whether attire or video background played a role in their perception of the quality of care received using a 5-point Likert scale. Differences in responses between new and returning patients were also evaluated.
Results
Telemedicine endocrine surgery patients stated excellent satisfaction with their visit (4.89 out of 5) and their provider (4.96 out of 5). While there was less consensus that telemedicine was equivalent to in-person or face-to face clinic visits (4.15 out of 5), patients would recommend a telemedicine visit to others and most agreed that this modality made it easier to obtain healthcare (4.7 out of 5). Attire of the provider and video background did not influence patient opinion in regard to the quality of care they received. Returning patients were more likely to be satisfied with this modality (4.94 vs 4.73, p = 0.02) compared to new patients.
Conclusion
This study shows that telemedicine does not compromise patient satisfaction or healthcare delivery for patients and is a viable clinic option for endocrine surgery.
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