Patient Satisfaction and Healthcare Utilization with the Transition to Virtual Care in a Multidisciplinary Bariatric Program.

Bariatric surgery Virtual care; Healthcare utilization

Journal

Obesity surgery
ISSN: 1708-0428
Titre abrégé: Obes Surg
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 9106714

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
30 Apr 2024
Historique:
received: 06 02 2024
accepted: 23 04 2024
revised: 13 04 2024
medline: 1 5 2024
pubmed: 1 5 2024
entrez: 30 4 2024
Statut: aheadofprint

Résumé

The COVID-19 pandemic saw an acceleration in virtual-visits (VV) for healthcare delivery. However, the impact of virtual care in metabolic/bariatric surgery (MBS) programs is not well described. Appointment data from three time-points: pre-pandemic (1/1/19-3/15/20, n = 19,290), pandemic (3/16/20-10/31/21, n = 29,459) and current-state (11/1/21-12/31/2022, n = 24,270) was retrieved in our multi-hospital ambulatory MBS program. Appointments were grouped by health care provider (HCP) (MD, dietician, and psychologist) and type (VV and in-person). Surveys assessing patient satisfaction were distributed electronically. All pre-op and post-op appointment data was analyzed for the time-points above. Appointment completion rates and patient reported preferences were described. Our data showed an increase in scheduled VV from 0.5% for all HCP visits to 81% during the pandemic and a current VV visit of 77%. The number of completed VV increased for all HCPs, most prominently for dieticians. Parallel to this, the percentage of no-show visits also improved for all HCP, with MDs having the lowest no-show rate currently. Survey data revealed 89% of patients experience added benefits with VV and > 90% reported their VV experience as very good. VV were preferred over in-person visits for psychologists and dietitians (> 61%), but the majority preferred to see MDs in-person (70%). Our findings reveal significant changes in healthcare utilization trends since the transition to virtual care. While overall satisfaction with virtual care is high, most patients prefer in-person visits with MDs. Thus, multi-disciplinary MBS care can be performed effectively using a hybrid model to ensure efficient distribution of resources.

Sections du résumé

BACKGROUND BACKGROUND
The COVID-19 pandemic saw an acceleration in virtual-visits (VV) for healthcare delivery. However, the impact of virtual care in metabolic/bariatric surgery (MBS) programs is not well described.
METHODS METHODS
Appointment data from three time-points: pre-pandemic (1/1/19-3/15/20, n = 19,290), pandemic (3/16/20-10/31/21, n = 29,459) and current-state (11/1/21-12/31/2022, n = 24,270) was retrieved in our multi-hospital ambulatory MBS program. Appointments were grouped by health care provider (HCP) (MD, dietician, and psychologist) and type (VV and in-person). Surveys assessing patient satisfaction were distributed electronically. All pre-op and post-op appointment data was analyzed for the time-points above. Appointment completion rates and patient reported preferences were described.
RESULTS RESULTS
Our data showed an increase in scheduled VV from 0.5% for all HCP visits to 81% during the pandemic and a current VV visit of 77%. The number of completed VV increased for all HCPs, most prominently for dieticians. Parallel to this, the percentage of no-show visits also improved for all HCP, with MDs having the lowest no-show rate currently. Survey data revealed 89% of patients experience added benefits with VV and > 90% reported their VV experience as very good. VV were preferred over in-person visits for psychologists and dietitians (> 61%), but the majority preferred to see MDs in-person (70%).
CONCLUSIONS CONCLUSIONS
Our findings reveal significant changes in healthcare utilization trends since the transition to virtual care. While overall satisfaction with virtual care is high, most patients prefer in-person visits with MDs. Thus, multi-disciplinary MBS care can be performed effectively using a hybrid model to ensure efficient distribution of resources.

Identifiants

DOI: 10.1007/s11695-024-07250-0 PMID: 38689073
pubmed: 38689073
doi: 10.1007/s11695-024-07250-0
pii: 10.1007/s11695-024-07250-0
doi:

Types de publication

Journal Article

Langues

eng

Sous-ensembles de citation

IM

Informations de copyright

© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.

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Auteurs

Lindsay Miamen (L)

Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 45 Francis Street ASBII 3 rdFloor, Boston, MA, USA.

Vasundhara Mathur (V)

Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 45 Francis Street ASBII 3 rdFloor, Boston, MA, USA.
Laboratory for Surgical and Metabolic Research, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Meghan Ariagno (M)

Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 45 Francis Street ASBII 3 rdFloor, Boston, MA, USA.

Amanda Lavasseur (A)

Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 45 Francis Street ASBII 3 rdFloor, Boston, MA, USA.

Catherine Page (C)

Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 45 Francis Street ASBII 3 rdFloor, Boston, MA, USA.

Ema Barbosa Brown (EB)

Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 45 Francis Street ASBII 3 rdFloor, Boston, MA, USA.

Yali Lu Pa-C (YL)

Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 45 Francis Street ASBII 3 rdFloor, Boston, MA, USA.

Paul Davidson (P)

Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 45 Francis Street ASBII 3 rdFloor, Boston, MA, USA.

Abdelrahman Nimeri (A)

Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 45 Francis Street ASBII 3 rdFloor, Boston, MA, USA.
Laboratory for Surgical and Metabolic Research, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Ali Tavakkoli (A)

Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 45 Francis Street ASBII 3 rdFloor, Boston, MA, USA.
Laboratory for Surgical and Metabolic Research, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Scott Shikora (S)

Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 45 Francis Street ASBII 3 rdFloor, Boston, MA, USA.

Eric Sheu (E)

Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 45 Francis Street ASBII 3 rdFloor, Boston, MA, USA. esheu@bwh.harvard.edu.
Laboratory for Surgical and Metabolic Research, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. esheu@bwh.harvard.edu.
ORCID: 0000-0003-2707-1768

Classifications MeSH