Telemedicine’s Impact on Patient Satisfaction and Efficiency in a Pediatric Plastic Surgery Practice

Abstract

Background: For decades, clinicians have cited telemedicine as a useful and effective tool for delivering care in surgical specialties. This study aims to investigate the direct impact of telemedicine on a pediatric plastic surgery practice, examining patient satisfaction and visit efficiency. Methods: Between March 2020 and May 2021, patient families were surveyed online regarding their visit, with questions surrounding convenience, ease of communication, ability to demonstrate physical exam findings, and likelihood of recommending the encounter format. Responses were compared between in-person and telemedicine visits. The duration of encounters during the study time period was also documented from the electronic medical record. Results: Ninety families (15.1%) completed the survey. Telemedicine visits were rated as more convenient than in-person visits (3.77 ± 0.51 vs 3.36 ± 0.94, P < .001). The ability to communicate in telemedicine was rated as similar to in-person (P = .104), as was the likelihood to recommend that format (P = .189). Quality of the physical exam was rated as worse for the telehealth visits (3.37 ± 0.89 vs 3.89 ± 0.35, P < .001). Of telemedicine participants, 7.5% also described connectivity issues and 3.8% reported audiovisual problems. Regarding visit efficiency, telehealth visits were shorter across all encounter types including follow-up (34.3 ± 81.1 vs 55.7 ± 44.1 minutes, P = .01), new patient (29.3 ± 25.5 vs 65.1 ± 43.4 minutes, P < .001), and postoperative (24.9 ± 22.9 vs 61.3 ± 48.8 minutes, P < .001) visits. Conclusion: Telemedicine provides an excellent modality for care delivery in the pediatric plastic surgery setting, minimizing time and inconveniences associated with presenting in-person. However, there remains clear concern about the efficacy of the physical examination and technological reliability from the patient’s perspective.