JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Escalating demand for specialist healthcare puts considerable demand on hospital services. Technology offers a means by which healthcare providers may increase the efficiency of healthcare delivery.

Objective:

To assess the feasibility, acceptability and efficiency of a virtual clinic in the post operative general surgical setting.

Methods:

Methods:

Patient satisfaction with current care and attitudes to virtual clinic (VC) were surveyed prospectively in the general surgical outpatient department (OPD). A subset of patients who had undergone endoscopy and day surgery were recruited to follow up in virtual clinic and subsequently surveyed with regards to their satisfaction. Other outcomes measured included a comparison of consultation times in traditional and virtual outpatient settings, and financial cost to both patients and the institution.

Results:

Results:

Almost half of patients reported barriers to prospective use of virtual clinics. However, within the cohort who had been followed up in the virtual clinic, satisfaction was higher than the traditional OPD. Significant savings in both time and financial costs to patients and the institution were found.

Conclusions:

Conclusion: For an appropriately selected group of patients, virtual clinics offer a viable alternative to traditional OPD. This alternative can improve both patient satisfaction and efficiency of patient care.