JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Telemedicine services increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, with limited studies on its implementation within pediatric orthopaedics.

Objective:

The goal of this study was to examine patient satisfaction and efficacy of telehealth specific to pediatric orthopaedics.

Methods:

Two hundred and seventy qualifying telehealth visits took place at a metropolitan area pediatric institute between March 1st-May 30th, 2020. Patients were invited to complete an anonymous satisfaction survey on their telehealth experience. Sixty-seven patients responded to the survey. A chart review was completed for all 270 telehealth visits.

Results:

Ninety-two percent (249/270) of telehealth visits were with established patients, and ninety-five percent (256/270) of visits were satisfactorily completed without further evaluation, with one visit requiring urgent in-person evaluation. Overall, patients were satisfied with initiating the telehealth visit (mean score of 4.56/5), as they felt comfortable discussing needs with the provider (4.68/5), and the visit saved time (4.61/5). However, patients were less enthused when deciding if telemedicine was of comparable quality to an in-person visit (3.68/5).

Conclusions:

Our analysis showed that telehealth is a viable alternative to in-person visits for various pediatric orthopaedic visits, with minimal urgent complications. Patients benefited primarily from the time savings when using a telehealth visit. However, our study also demonstrates certain limitations of telemedicine, likely due to patients’ perceived value of an in-person evaluation. Our study's findings should encourage the continued implementation of pediatric orthopaedic telemedicine as an adjunct to in-person clinical practice.