Effectiveness of Emergency Department Virtual Clinics: A Retrospective Study in a Large Tertiary Center in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Introduction:

This study aims to evaluate the impact of virtual clinics in the emergency department (ED) of a large tertiary center in Saudi Arabia by analyzing patient outcomes and resource utilization.

Methods:

A retrospective, observational study was conducted at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center. Data from 3,595 patient encounters that utilized ED virtual clinics from March 2022 to October 2023 were analyzed. Key variables included appointment types, reasons for encounters, patient advisement for ED visits, duration of virtual clinics, and return rates. Statistical analyses included t-tests, chi-square tests, ANOVA, and multivariable logistic regression.

Results:

Of the patients, 53.33% had emergency postdischarge follow-ups, 27.44% had emergency adult virtual follow-ups, and 19.22% had emergency urgent care adult virtual follow-ups. The most common reasons for encounters were follow-ups after discharge (35.16%), advice on new medical problems (28.54%), and review of investigations (24.43%). Only 4.5% of patients seeking medication advice were advised to visit the ED, while nearly 49% of those reporting new medical problems were advised to do so. About 23.35% represented to the ED within 7 days. The median duration of virtual clinics was 2 min. Patients with new medical problems showed the highest rates of return and need for rebooking.

Conclusion:

Virtual clinics in the ED setting offer a reliable approach to managing noncritical cases, minimizing avoidable ED visits, and optimizing the use of health care resources. Future studies should explore multicenter trials and long-term outcomes to further validate these findings and enhance the generalizability of virtual clinic models in emergency care settings.