Evaluation of teleconsultation system in the urological patient during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Introduction The global pandemic of COVID-19 has led to rapid implementation of telemedicine, but there is little information on patient satisfaction of this system as an alternative to face-to-face care. Objective To evaluate urological patient satisfaction with teleconsultation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and methods Observational, prospective, cross-sectional, non-interventional study carried out by telephone survey during the period considered as the peak of the pandemic (March-April 2020). A quality survey composed of 11 questions on urological care provided by physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic was conducted, selecting a representative sample of patients attended by teleconsultation. Results Two hundred patients were contacted by telephone to answer a survey on the quality of teleconsultation. The distribution of patients surveyed among the specialized consultations was homogeneous with the number of consultations cited in the period;18% of them required assistance from family members. Sixty percent of patients avoided going to a medical center during the pandemic. Of the surveyed patients, 42% had cancelled diagnostic tests, 59% had cancelled medical consultations, 3.5% had cancelled treatments and 1%, had cancelled interventions. Ten percent reported a worsening of urological symptoms during confinement. According to physicians, consultations were effectively delivered in 72% of cases, with teleconsultation being carried out by their usual urologist in 81%. Teleconsultation overall satisfaction level was 9 (IQI 8−10), and 61.5% of respondents consider teleconsultation as a "health care option" after the healthcare crisis. Conclusion Teleconsultation has been evaluated with a high level of satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic, offering continuous care to urological patients during the healthcare crisis. The perceived quality offers a field of optional telematic assistance in selected patients, which should be re-evaluated in a period without confinement measures.

Patients’ Perceived Satisfaction Through Telephone-Assisted Tele-Consultation During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic Period: Observational Single-Centre Study at a Tertiary-Referral Colorectal Surgery Department

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Validación de un instrumento para medir satisfacción de pacientes renales atendidos por telemedicina durante la pandemia por COVID-19

“…Solo se encontraron estudios sobre la percepción de pacientes atendidos por teleconsulta médica [21,22] a nivel internacional. En el Perú, no hay reportes sobre investigación en validez y confiabilidad de instrumentos que midan el nivel de satisfacción en talleres de nutrición por telemedicina durante la pandemia por COVID-19, por lo que se dificulta la comparación con estudios similares.…”

Usabilidad del proceso de atención de salud virtual en el período de cuarentena en los meses de mayo a julio 2020 por COVID-19 en el Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño de Perú

“…En cuanto a la percepción de los participantes sobre la teleconsulta en nuestro estudio la mayoría sintieron que las consultas provistas por el sistema de teleorientación y telemonitoreo son equivalentes a las consultas personales y afirmaron sentirse cómodos comunicándose con el médico mediante el uso del sistema de teleorientación y telemonitoreo; en ese sentido similares resultados se (20) obtuvieron en el estudio de Leibar en España donde la teleconsulta fue valorada con un alto grado de satisfacción por parte de los usuarios durante la pandemia por la COVID-19, ya que ofrece asistencia médica continua. En dicho estudio al evaluar la teleconsulta en el paciente urológico durante la pandemia por el COVID-19 a través de una encuesta de calidad compuesta por 11 preguntas a 200 pacientes atendidos por teleconsulta en el periodo de cuarentena; el 60% de los pacientes no tuvo que acudir presencialmente al hospital, el 18% necesitaron asistencia de parte de un familiar o cuidador al momento de la teleconsulta, el 22% debido a la suspensión de las consultas tenían cancelada alguna prueba complementaria.…”