Utilization of Virtual Consultations in Facial Plastic Surgery during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Background The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic affected many aspects of medical practice, particularly surgical fields. The American College of Surgery initially recommended the cancellation of all elective procedures. As a result, virtual consultations (VCs; a form of telemedicine), became widely used in the field of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. With more facial plastic and reconstructive surgeons (FPRS) conducting both in-person and virtual visits, it is imperative to understand how VCs are utilized in practice. Methods An electronic, anonymous survey was distributed to 1,282 electronic mail addresses in the 2018 American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery directory. The survey collected responses on various topics including demographic information and past, current, and future use of VCs. Results The survey yielded 84 responses. Most surgeons (66.7%) were 11+ years out of fellowship. There was a significant increase in the percentage of VCs scheduled after the pandemic than before (p = 0.03). FPRS most frequently responded that VCs should always be followed by an in-person visit (48.6%). A majority of FPRS (66.2%) believe that VCs have improved the delivery of health care in at least some cases. Almost all FPRS (86.5%) plan on using VCs after the pandemic. Conclusion Since the pandemic, VCs are more frequently used by surgeons and are mostly utilized as an initial patient visit. A majority of FPRS believe that VCs have improved health care in at least some cases, and plan on using VCs after the pandemic.