The Role of Virtual Consultations in Plastic Surgery During COVID-19

Abstract

Background: COVID-19 has led to government enforced ‘lockdown’ in the UK severely limiting face-to-face patient interaction. Virtual consultations present a means for continued patient access to healthcare. Our aim was to evaluate the use of virtual consultations (VCons) during lockdown and their possible role in the future. Methods: An anonymous survey was disseminated to UK and European plastic surgeons via social media, email sharing and, via the EASAPS (European Association of Societies of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery) newsletter. Uptake of VCons, modality, effectiveness, safety and future utility were assessed. Results: 43 senior plastic surgeons responded to the survey. The majority of the respondents (97.7%) reported using VCons during COVID-19 lockdown, of which, 74.4% had no prior experience. Two thirds of surgeons utilised commercial platforms such as zoom, facetime and skype. 38.1% of respondents did not know about or were unsure about adequate encryption for healthcare use, and just under a half (47.6%) reported they were unaware of or lacking GDPR compliance. 97.6% say they are likely to use virtual consultations after lockdown.Conclusion: Virtual consultation have had a crucial role in patient care during UK lockdown. It is clear that they will serve as an adjunct to face-to-face consultation in the future. Further regulation is required to ensure platforms offer adequate safety and security measures and are compliant with relevant data protection laws.

A mixed-methods survey to explore issues with virtual consultations for musculoskeletal care during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…A number of data breaches occurred in the first half of 2020 [49], with access of personal data featuring in all ten highlighted cases. A survey of 43 senior plastic surgeons [50] elicited their views on the future of virtual consultations in plastic surgery; 38% of respondents were not aware of encryption and 48% were unaware of GDPR compliance. As the number of remote consultation platforms grow, it is essential that patients and clinicians are aware of their potential security issues and that policies and procedures reflect increased risks [51].…”

Telehealth Intervention: A Proposal for a Telemedicine Manual to Ascertain the Civil Disability Status in Italy

“…Specifically, the software recommended in the implementation phase within the illustrated document is Skype™ [13], as it is free and widely accessible throughout the country. Numerous studies and international scientific experiences have demonstrated the validity of this platform in healthcare settings, having been applied for various purposes with encouraging results: virtual rehabilitation interventions for language disorders, remote synchronous consultations in Ophthalmic Telesurgery, health status monitoring following different kinds of interventions, psychotherapy, virtual consultations in Plastic Surgery, as well as in several clinical settings [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]. The choice of the platform is therefore based on the evidence of its validity, cost, and widespread availability within the territory.…”