JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Before surgical procedures, the preadmission clinic (PAC) facilitates perioperative care through preoperative evaluations, education, and patient optimization. The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic precipitated the popularity of virtual care video appointments, emerging as a sought-after alternative to in-person and phone consultations. Despite this trend, our PAC reported zero percent utilization of video consultations in preoperative assessments. We initiated a prospective quality improvement project employing the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) methodology. The project aimed to develop, implement, and integrate virtual video consultations in PAC. Data were systematically collected to track the number of patients undergoing video consultations, allowing us to address patient flow concerns and enhance the percentage of video consultations. Our approach involved an in-depth examination of communications between PAC, surgeon offices, and patients, seeking continuous improvement in video consultations. We tackled technological challenges and streamlined connecting video calls on the day of appointments. We observed consistent improvement through successive PDSA cycles and reaudits, with the percentage of video calls increasing from a baseline of zero to 38%. The quality improvement process significantly enhanced our institution's preoperative video consultation workflow. By gaining a deeper understanding of the intricate processes within PAC, we strategically intervened to integrate video consultations, ensuring efficiency, morale, and safety were not compromised. This project underscores the potential for transformative improvements in healthcare delivery through the thoughtful integration of virtual care technologies.