Adoption and Safety of Surgical Telehealth

In today’s OC we will be talking about the adoption and safety of surgical telehealth. We will start with the background of telehealth, followed by setup and alternatives and finally, safety.

Background

Telemedicine is a term coined in the 1970s, which literally means healing at a distance. According with the WHO: “The delivery of health care services, where distance is a critical factor, by all health care professionals using information and communication technologies for the exchange of valid information for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease and injuries, research and evaluation, and for the continuing education of health care providers, all in the interests of advancing the health of individuals and their communities.”

The WHO definition enlightens that Telemedicine is the connection between healthcare providers and the patients, using technology and telecommunications and also the connection, through technology and telecommunications, between different healthcare providers. This includes not only telematic meetings, but also webinars, online courses, and all the technological means of transmission of knowledge, skills and information.

Telehealth involves Telemedicine and all the services provided by other healthcare professionals, when technology and telecommunications are used.

Although it was first described and has emerged in the early 20th century, only in the past 10 years have we had exponential growth in Telemedicine, specially during this last year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The need for social distancing and reducing the load of health institutions, together with the loosening of guidelines and requirements have allowed for the widespread adoption of Telemedicine and all forms of Telehealth.

Setup and Alternatives

Regarding the setup of Telemedicine, there are a variety of non-public video communication tools that can be used, as long as they are accepted by the Country and Institution’s Protocols.

To use these platforms, there are some Patient and Physician considerations that must be in kind:

- Patient’s considerations: the patient and/or his familiar should be familiar with the resources and how to use them. They need to be coached on communication or have a technological liaison. The possibility of delays and why the visit had to be changed to a virtual setting should be explained. No matter the resource used, the physician-patient relationship should not be disturbed.

- Physician’s considerations: the physician should not forget to create a therapeutic environment, learn as much as possible from the patient and/or his family, be alert to details, try to calm the patient and be calm and prepared for the possible technological difficulties.

Safety

The evidence now available shows the feasibility and safety of telehealth interventions in inpatient and outpatient settings.