1. Evaluation of teleconsultation system in the urological patient during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Author
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E. Linares Espinós, A. Leibar Tamayo, M. Girón de Francisco, Esaú Fernández-Pascual, J.M. Gómez de Vicente, C. de Castro Guerín, J.R. Pérez-Carral, J.A. Mainez Rodriguez, M.J. Garcia-Matres, C. Trelles Guzman, Luis Martínez-Piñeiro, Mario Alvarez-Maestro, E. Ríos González, and J. Gómez Rivas
- Subjects
Telemedicine ,Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,COVID19 ,Urología ,Urology ,030232 urology & nephrology ,Psychological intervention ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Patient satisfaction ,Satisfaction level ,Health care ,Pandemic ,Medicine ,Satisfacción ,business.industry ,Teleconsultation ,Satisfaction ,General Medicine ,SARS-COv-2 ,Telemedicina ,medicine.disease ,Telephone survey ,Teleconsulta ,Original Article ,Medical emergency ,business - Abstract
Introduction The global pandemic of COVID-19 has led to rapid implementation of telemedicine, but there is little information on patient satisfaction of this system as an alternative to face-to-face care. Objective To evaluate urological patient satisfaction with teleconsultation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and methods Observational, prospective, cross-sectional, non-interventional study carried out by telephone survey during the period considered as the peak of the pandemic (March-April 2020). A quality survey composed of 11 questions on urological care provided by physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic was conducted, selecting a representative sample of patients attended by teleconsultation. Results Two hundred patients were contacted by telephone to answer a survey on the quality of teleconsultation. The distribution of patients surveyed among the specialized consultations was homogeneous with the number of consultations cited in the period;18% of them required assistance from family members. Sixty percent of patients avoided going to a medical center during the pandemic. Of the surveyed patients, 42% had cancelled diagnostic tests, 59% had cancelled medical consultations, 3.5% had cancelled treatments and 1%, had cancelled interventions. Ten percent reported a worsening of urological symptoms during confinement. According to physicians, consultations were effectively delivered in 72% of cases, with teleconsultation being carried out by their usual urologist in 81%. Teleconsultation overall satisfaction level was 9 (IQI 8−10), and 61.5% of respondents consider teleconsultation as a "health care option" after the healthcare crisis. Conclusion Teleconsultation has been evaluated with a high level of satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic, offering continuous care to urological patients during the healthcare crisis. The perceived quality offers a field of optional telematic assistance in selected patients, which should be re-evaluated in a period without confinement measures.
- Published
- 2020
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