Telemedicine for Endovascular Neurosurgery Consultation During the COVID-19 Era: Patient Satisfaction Survey

Authors

Neil Majmundar, Department of Neurosurgery, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.Follow
Andrew F. Ducruet, Department of Neurosurgery, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
D Andrew Wilkinson, Department of Neurosurgery, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
Joshua S. Catapano, Department of Neurosurgery, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
Jimmy Patel, Department of Neurosurgery, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
Jacob F. Baranoski, Department of Neurosurgery, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
Tyler S. Cole, Department of Neurosurgery, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
Felipe C. Albuquerque, Department of Neurosurgery, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Electronic address: Neuropub@barrowneuro.org.

Document Type

Article

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic necessitated the use of telemedicine for most medical specialties, including neurosurgery, although before the pandemic, neurosurgeons infrequently used telemedicine for outpatient visits. We conducted a patient-centric evaluation of telemedicine in our endovascular neurosurgery practice, covering a 4-month period early in the pandemic. METHODS: Survey e-mails after telemedicine visits were sent to all patients who underwent an outpatient telemedicine visit between March 11, 2020, and June 22, 2020, at an endovascular neurosurgery clinic affiliated with a tertiary care center. RESULTS: Of 140 patients, 65 (46%) completed the e-mail survey. Of the 65 respondents, 35 (54%) agreed or strongly agreed with the statement that even before their telemedicine experience, they thought telemedicine would be a convenient way to receive a neurological consultation. After their telemedicine visit, 47 (72%) agreed or strongly agreed with this statement, and 28 (43%) agreed or strongly agreed that they would prefer telemedicine for future visits. Of the 65 respondents, 61 (94%) rated their telemedicine visit as average or better: 34 (52%) rated it excellent, 12 (18%) rated it above average, and 15 (23%) rated it average. When patients compared their telemedicine visit with a prior in-person clinic visit, only 10 of 44 patients (23%) thought the telemedicine visit was more complicated than an in-person visit, and 21 of 44 (48%) said they would prefer telemedicine for future visits. CONCLUSIONS: Our patients expressed satisfaction with their telemedicine visits, and telemedicine will likely play an important role in future outpatient endovascular neurosurgery consultations.

Medical Subject Headings

COVID-19; Humans; Neurosurgery; Patient Satisfaction; Referral and Consultation; SARS-CoV-2; Surveys and Questionnaires; Telemedicine

Publication Date

2-1-2022

Publication Title

World neurosurgery

E-ISSN

1878-8769

Volume

158

First Page

e577

Last Page

e582

PubMed ID

34775085

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1016/j.wneu.2021.11.023

Recommended Citation

Majmundar, Neil; Ducruet, Andrew F.; Wilkinson, D Andrew; Catapano, Joshua S.; Patel, Jimmy; Baranoski, Jacob F.; Cole, Tyler S.; and Albuquerque, Felipe C., "Telemedicine for Endovascular Neurosurgery Consultation During the COVID-19 Era: Patient Satisfaction Survey" (2022). Neurosurgery. 2228.
https://scholar.barrowneuro.org/neurosurgery/2228