A rapid review of the effectiveness of remote consultations versus face-to-face consultations in secondary care surgical outpatient settings

Abstract

The use of remote consultations and telemedicine approaches significantly increased over the pandemic. There is evidence that some patients still prefer this mode of care delivery and time saving may also enable additional consultations and help to reduce waiting lists. However, the effectiveness of remote consulting for certain specialities, such as surgery, is unclear. The aim of this review was to investigate the effectiveness of video or telephone consultations, particularly focusing on clinical, patient reported and safety outcomes, in adult secondary surgical outpatient care during the COVID-19 pandemic. 14 studies were identified. These were published in 2021-2022. Evidence is low or very-low quality due to observational study designs, small sample sizes and patient selection. Policy and practice implications: Evidence is of low quality but suggests that for many surgical outpatient consultations, remote consultations are as effective as in-person consultations. There is potential for time and cost savings for remote consultations compared to in-person consultations. High quality research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of remote consultations to understand which patients and which surgical specialities would benefit most.

Effectiveness and safety of asynchronous telemedicine consultations in general practice: a systematic review

“…Synchronous telemedicine, which includes video and telephone consultations, has been more widely researched than asynchronous telemedicine. 8 – 10 Existing reviews have focused on areas such as sharing images for dermatology consultations, and specific types of secure messaging such as emails. 11 , 12 There is a recent rapid review on the value of asynchronous communication between patients and physicians in primary care, 13 but none focusing specifically on quality of care.…”