Abstract WP384: Feasibility Of Systematic Assessment Of 30-day Functional Outcomes After Stroke

Stroke ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 44 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene L Katzan ◽  
Alice M Liskay ◽  
Siobhan Martin ◽  
Charles Thomas ◽  
Thomas E Love ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Status ◽  
Hospice Care ◽  
Multivariable Analysis ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Phone Call ◽  
Post Discharge ◽  
Systematic Assessment ◽  
Phone Calls ◽  
Significant Difference

Although functional status after stroke is widely considered important to measure, the feasibility of systematic assessment of functional status after stroke is unknown. Objective: To determine the feasibility of obtaining 30 day functional status via phone call follow-up by a central group of nurses spanning multiple hospitals. Methods: Prospective cohort study of patients admitted for stroke at 6 hospitals participating in the Ohio Coverdell Outcomes Evaluation Project. At 5 of these sites, patients were contacted by a central nurse 30-51days post discharge using a standardized protocol. In the remaining hospital, outpatient appointments were arranged for 30 days postdischarge. Patients who died inhouse or had hospice care were excluded from the follow-up protocol. Results: Of the 699 patients in this cohort, 53.1% were female and 76.4% were white. Mean age was 68.5 yrs and mean admission NIHSS was 6.0. Phonecalls were successfully completed in 65.8% of the 486 eligible patients. There was no significant difference in completion rates among the 5 hospitals. Most common reasons for unsuccessful phone followup were: patient/family never reached 22.8% (111/486) and patient opted-out 6.4% (31/486). Factors associated with unsuccessful phone call included: DNR order (15.7% vs 8.7%, p=0.021), longer lengths of stay (median days 4 vs 3, p=0.015), higher discharge Rankin (2.9 vs 2.6, p=0.06), and IV tPA use (6.6 vs 2.8, p=0.05). There was no association between completed phone calls and discharge destination. In multivariable analysis, only age (OR 1.02, 95% CI 1.00 - 1.04) and no DNR (OR 1.96, 95% CI 1.00 - 3.83) were independently associated with successful phone follow-up. Post discharge clinic visits were completed in 52.9% (46/87) patients at the remaining site, and there were similar clinical associations with a completed visit. Conclusion: Success of obtaining 30day phone follow-up is modest, occurring in 65.8% in 5 hospitals of varied types and patient populations. This has important policy implications for measuring stroke outcomes; systematic assessment of functional status post-discharge may require a combination of different methods to achieve high assessment rates.

Abstract TP288: Overcoming Obstacles Making People Healthy (OOMPH): A Patient Centered Post Discharge Follow-up Program for Stroke Patients

Stroke ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Muller ◽  
Barbara Gatton ◽  
Linda Fox ◽  
Joseph A Bove ◽  
Johanna Donovan Turner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Support Groups ◽  
Medical Information ◽  
Patient Adherence ◽  
Hospital Readmissions ◽  
Phone Call ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Post Discharge ◽  
Phone Calls ◽  
Stroke Support Groups

Background and Purpose: At least 12% of stroke patients are readmitted to a hospital within 30 days of discharge. We know that patients hospitalized for other conditions are less likely to be readmitted within 30 days if they are seen by their PCP shortly after discharge. However, less than a third of patients in the New York metropolitan area admitted for heart failure, heart attacks, and pneumonia see their PCP within 14 days after discharge and nearly 40% of patients do not adhere to their prescribed regimen. In the case of cerebrovascular diseases, outpatient follow-up may prevent the majority of avoidable readmissions. The purpose of this project is to identify and reduce unnecessary, unplanned hospital readmissions after stroke. Our goal is to encourage patient adherence to prescribed medication and other therapies, as well as to ensure timely follow-up with their PCP. Methods: Stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients with a disposition of either home or short-term rehabilitation are visited and offered enrollment. Participants are given a kit which includes a personalized binder (to manage essential medical information) and a 28-slot pill box. Each patient then receives 3 phone call interviews at 7, 21 and 32 days after discharge. The aim of the phone calls is to identify obstacles to compliance with treatment regimen and follow-up care. Results: From January 2015 to June 2016, 247 patients were enrolled and followed up. Within 30 days of discharge, 10% were readmitted and 50% of all readmissions occurred within the first 7 days. Of those readmitted, 19% were due to an injury from physical therapy. Data from follow-up phone calls revealed that 83% were taking all prescribed medications, 89% had completed a follow-up with any physician, 69% were using the binder, and 61% had done all three. Conclusions: While we have not enrolled enough patients to see a statistically significant reduction in readmissions, our interviews showed that weather, depression, as well as a lack of insurance, family support, and a home health aide are all determinants on how patients will follow their prescribed regimen. The results of this study have allowed us to begin implementing stroke support groups and pre-discharge follow-up appointment scheduling.

scholarly journals A Study of Short Term Outcomes among Covid-19 Patients Discharged without Follow up In the New York Metropolitan Area

2021 ◽  
pp. 85-92
Author(s):  
Louise Molmenti Christine ◽  
Mitra Neil ◽  
Shah Abhinit ◽  
Flynn Anne ◽  
Brown Zenobia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Functional Status ◽  
Metropolitan Area ◽  
Phone Call ◽  
Post Discharge ◽  
Readmission Rates ◽  
York Metropolitan Area ◽  
New York Metropolitan Area ◽  
The Impact

Background: A shortage of beds, high case volume, decreased availability of outpatient medical doctors, and limited disease knowledge resulted in the premature discharge and poor follow up of COVID-19 patients in the New York Metropolitan Area. Objective: The primary objective of this retrospective study and phone survey was to characterize the demographics and clinical outcomes (e.g., readmission rates, comorbidities, mortality, and functional status) of COVID-19 patients discharged without follow-up. The secondary objective was to assess the impact of race and comorbidities on readmission rates and the extent to which patients were escalated to another care provider. Methods: Electronic medical records were reviewed for COVID-19 patients discharged from 3 NYMA hospitals in March 2020. Follow up data regarding medical status, ability to perform activities of daily living and functional status was also obtained from patients via phone call. The Chi-square, Fishers exact test and t-tests were used to analyze the data. Results: 349 patients were included in the analysis. The hospital readmission rate was 10.6% (58.8% for pulmonary reasons) and did not differ by race. 74.3% of readmissions were <14 days after release. The post-discharge mortality rate was 2.6%. Hypertension was the most common comorbidity (43%). There was a statistically significant association between mortality and number of comorbidities (p=<0.0001). 82% of patients were contacted by phone. 66.6% of patients returned to pre-COVID baseline function in ≥1 month. As a result of information obtained on the follow up phone call, 4.2% of patients required “escalation” to another provider. Conclusion: Discharging COVID-19 patients without prearranged follow up was associated with high readmission and mortality rates. While the majority of patients recovered, prolonged weakness, lengthy recovery, and the need for additional medical intervention was noted. Further work to assess the effectiveness COVID-19 post-discharge programs is warranted.

Treating pediatric conjunctivitis without an exam: An evaluation of outcomes and antibiotic usage

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 73-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristine S Penza ◽  
Martha A Murray ◽  
Jane F Myers ◽  
Julie Maxson ◽  
Joseph W Furst ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Retrospective Chart Review ◽  
Phone Call ◽  
Antibiotic Prescribing ◽  
Oral Antibiotic ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Phone Calls ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Primary Care Office ◽  
Previous Encounter

Objective The objective of this research paper is to compare antibiotic treatment, follow-up rates, and types of follow-up encounters among eVisits, phone calls, and in-person encounters for pediatric conjunctivitis. Study design A retrospective chart review of pediatric patients evaluated for conjunctivitis between May 1, 2016 and May 1, 2017, was performed. A total of 101 eVisits, 202 in-person retail clinic visits, and 202 nurse phone calls for conjunctivitis were manually reviewed for outcomes. Exclusion criteria included previous encounter for conjunctivitis in the past 14 days, treatment with an oral antibiotic at the initial encounter, or patient outside Minnesota at the time of encounter. Comparison among the three encounter types with regard to follow-up rates, follow-up encounter type within 14 days of initial evaluation, and prescribing rates was performed. Results Patients completing non-face-to-face encounters were significantly more likely to have follow-up care (34.6% and 45.5%) than those who had a face-to-face visit at the retail clinic (7.4%), p ≤ 0.0001. Patients initially evaluated by eVisit were more likely to have follow-up at the retail clinic while patients initially evaluated by phone call were more likely to have follow-up in their primary care office. Treatment rates with antibiotics were significantly higher in phone call encounters (41.6%) than in eVisits (25.7%) or face-to-face encounters (19.8%), p < 0.0001. Conclusions Non-face-to-face visits have significantly higher rates of follow-up when compared to face-to-face encounters. Antibiotic prescribing is greater with phone call triage encounters; however, there was no significant difference in antibiotic prescribing rates between eVisits and face-to-face visits. Follow-up type varied according to site of initial encounter.

Abstract 360: A Simplified Post-Discharge Telephone Intervention To Reduce Hospital Readmission for Patients with Cardiovascular Disease.

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gene F Kwan ◽  
Lana Kwong ◽  
Yun Hong ◽  
Abhishek Khemka ◽  
Gary Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Hospital Readmissions ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Phone Call ◽  
Post Discharge ◽  
Coronary Syndrome ◽  
Phone Calls ◽  
Administrative Assistants

Background: Readmission rates are high for patients with cardiovascular disease, particularly heart failure (HF) and acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Telephone calls by clinical staff have had mixed effects. We aim to evaluate the degree of implementation and the effect of a quality improvement initiative using a simplified post-discharge phone call by administrative assistants. Methods: Clinical data were retrospectively reviewed at a single urban public hospital. From January through October 2012 all patient discharged home from inpatient cardiology services (intervention group, n=1034 discharges) were identified. Within 7 days, administrative assistants contacted patients via telephone and queried regarding (1) medication compliance, (2) awareness of follow-up appointments and (3) if clinician contact is requested. Outcome events were defined as readmissions (for any cause) within 30 days to the same hospital and are reported as patients experiencing readmission, and total readmissions. A comparison group of all patients discharged home from inpatient cardiology services from January through October 2010 (n=746) were selected as controls (no phone calls). Categorical data were compared in a univariate fashion using the Chi Square test. Statistical significance is defined as p<.05. Results: Of the 1034 discharge events in the intervention group, 620 (60.0%) had phone calls attempted. Of those, 419 (67.6%) were directly contacted. Patients were statistically different with respect to language, ethnicity and insurance status. Of the patients called, 48 (7.7%) reported medication abnormalities, 13 (2.1%) did not understand their follow-up and 38 (6.1%) had a question for a clinician. The rates of patients experiencing events was not statistically different (132 [17.7%] vs. 156 [15.1%], OR 0.85, p=.14). Total readmissions were significantly reduced (157[21.0%] vs. 179 [17.3%], OR 0.82, p=.047). Pre-specified subgroups of ACS and HF patients showed a trend towards decreased re-admissions but were not statistically significant. Conclusion: A simplified post-discharge telephone call strategy is associated with a trend towards reduced hospital readmissions for cardiology patients. Further refinements are needed to improve program implementation.

scholarly journals Lessons Learned by Medical Students about Systems-Based Practice as Patients Transition their Care

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduard Pey ◽  
Diego Sierra ◽  
Sydney Katz ◽  
Laura Greisman ◽  
Deanna Jannat-Khah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Care Coordination ◽  
Care Transitions ◽  
Transitions Of Care ◽  
Phone Call ◽  
Post Discharge ◽  
Medicine Clerkship ◽  
Practice Improvement ◽  
Phone Calls

Abstract Background: One in five patients suffer an adverse event within two weeks of discharge as they transition from one healthcare setting to another. Systems-based practice is a core competency of physicians and seeks to minimize these events; however, education of trainees is inconsistent. We asked whether structured post-discharge phone calls and reflections on barriers to discharge and practice improvement can enhance students’ understanding of systems-based practice. Method: Medical students in the Internal Medicine Clerkship were assigned to perform a structured post-discharge phone call on hospitalized patients as part of a “Transitions of Care” assignment. Students reflected on issues occurring at the transition from hospitalization to discharge. We performed qualitative analysis of 90 medical student responses and identified themes and sub-themes addressing issues with care transitions. Results: Students consistently identified barriers to safe discharge including issues scheduling follow-up care, poor care coordination, and inadequate social support. The post-discharge phone calls revealed problems with patients’ understanding of their discharge diagnosis, medication-related issues and patients’ failure to attend scheduled follow-up. Common student-proposed practice improvement interventions included: enhanced provider-patient communication and education, improved interdisciplinary collaboration and care coordination, and greater attention to patient’s psychosocial and financial status. Conclusions: Medical students learned about systems-based practice from a transitions of care assignment involving a post-discharge phone call, identifying critical events in over half of patients identified. Self-reflective practice within the context of direct patient care offers insights into practice improvement in care transitions.

scholarly journals Virtual Reality for Therapeutic Recreation in Dementia Hospice Care: A Feasibility Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (10) ◽  
pp. 809-815 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Ferguson ◽  
Marcia Y. Shade ◽  
Julie Blaskewicz Boron ◽  
Elizabeth Lyden ◽  
Natalie A. Manley
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Subjective Experience ◽  
Hospice Care ◽  
Psychological Symptoms ◽  
Therapeutic Recreation ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Phone Calls ◽  
Point Increase ◽  
Significant Difference

Objectives: To explore acceptability, tolerability, and subjective experience of virtual reality (VR) as therapeutic recreation for hospice patients living with dementia (hPLWD). Design: Descriptive study setting. Community Hospice Agency Participants: A convenience sample of n = 25 hPLWD cared for by a local hospice agency. Intervention: Participants viewed a beach scene using VR headset for ≤30 minutes. Measurements: Tolerability was measured with Pain Assessment IN Advanced Dementia (PAINAD)scores at baseline, every 5 minutes during VR use, and 5 minutes after headset removal. Additionally, follow-up phone calls to caregivers several hours after the intervention were performed to inquire regarding any noted adverse effect after the intervention. The subjective experience was measured with qualitative semistructured interviews with the hPLWD regarding enjoyment for the VR. Descriptive statistics were performed on all collected data. Results: The VR was stopped early in 2 of the participants due to a ≥2-point increase in PAINAD score. Baseline behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) were reported to have worsened in 2 (8%) of the participants at follow-up. There was no significant difference between dementia type and usage time or dementia severity and usage time. Of the 25 participants, 14 (56%) reported enjoying VR and 12 (48%) would do it again. Conclusion: Virtual reality use was generally safe and enjoyable in hPLWD. Virtual reality can provide meaningful activity and enhance quality of life for hPLWD at the end of life. In the future, VR may be a useful intervention for BPSD in hPLWD.

scholarly journals Challenges in Implementing an Explicit Protocol for Live Discharge From Hospice

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 62-62
Author(s):  
Stephanie Wladkowski ◽  
Susan Enguidanos ◽  
Tracy Schroepfer ◽  
Keegan Pabst
Keyword(s):  
Life Expectancy ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Interprofessional Education ◽  
Hospice Care ◽  
The United States ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Discharge Process ◽  
Post Discharge ◽  
Eligibility Criteria

Abstract A live discharge from hospice can occur when a patient stabilized under hospice care and no longer meets the life expectancy hospice eligibility criteria. In 2018, 220,000 hospice patients across the United States were discharged alive from hospice care, with 1 in 6 discharges due to stabilization, with a life expectancy exceeding hospice’s six-month criteria. Hospice practitioners prepare patients and their caregivers upon enrollment for the possibility of a live discharge should their condition stabilize, however, there is no explicit discharge process available within hospice to guide practitioners in transitioning patients (and caregivers) out of hospice care. This transition process largely falls within the domain of hospice social workers, yet there is no research documenting the challenges and facilitators to conducting a live discharge from hospice. This study aimed to understand social workers' perspectives on the live discharge process. To better understand challenges and facilitators to the live discharge process, we conducted focus group interviews with hospice social workers at four hospice agencies across the U.S. We asked participants to discuss specific tasks associated with the live discharge process for a patient and their caregiver including identifying concrete services needed post-discharge; assessing the psychosocial and grief risk of patient and caregiver; and developing a post-discharge follow-up plan. Using constant comparison analysis we identified several themes including the need for clear professional roles during a live discharge, interprofessional education, and the need for dedicated time for live discharge follow-up. Policy implications and opportunities also will be discussed.

Post-Hospital Syndrome (PHS) and Potentially Preventable Hospitalizations(PPH) in Adults. MonashWatch adult cohort patient telehealth journeys (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Associate Professor Martin ◽  
Narelle Hinckley ◽  
Keith Stockman ◽  
Donadl Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
Phone Call ◽  
Post Discharge ◽  
Patient Journey ◽  
Preventable Hospitalizations ◽  
Acute Admission ◽  
Avoidable Hospitalizations ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Phone Calls ◽  
Potentially Preventable Hospitalizations

BACKGROUND Monash Watch (MW) aims to reduce avoidable hospitalizations in a cohort above a risk ‘threshold’ identified by HealthLinks Chronic Care (HLCC) algorithms using personal, diagnostic, and service data, excluding surgical and psychiatric admissions. MW conducted regular patient monitoring through outbound phone calls using the Patient Journey Record System (PaJR). PaJR alerts are intended to act as a self-reported barometer of health perceptions with more alerts per call indicating greater risk of Potentially Preventable Hospitalizations (PPH) and Post Hospital Syndrome (PHS). Most knowledge of PPH and PHS occurs at a macro-level with little understanding of fine-grained dynamics. OBJECTIVE To describe patterns of self-reported concerns and self-rated health 10 days before and after acute hospital admission in the telehealth intervention cohort of MonashWatch in the context of addressing PPH and PHS. METHODS Participants: 173 who had an acute admission of the of the 232 HLCC cohort with predicted 3+ admissions/year, in MW service arm for >40 days. Measures: Self-reported health and health care status in 764 MW phone call records which were classified into Total Alerts (all concerns - self-reported) and Red Alerts (concerns judged to be higher risk of adverse outcomes/admissions -acute medical and illness symptoms). Acute (non-surgical) admissions from Victorian Admitted Episode database. Analysis: Descriptive Timeseries homogeneity metrics using XLSTAT. RESULTS Self-reported problems (Total Alerts) statistically shifted to a higher level 3 days before an acute admission and stayed at a high level for the 10 days post discharge; reported acute medical and illness symptoms (Red Alerts) increased 1 day prior to admission and but remained at a higher level than before admission. Symptoms of concern did not change before admission or after discharge. Self-rated health and feeling depressed were reported to worsen 5 days post discharge. Patients reported more medication changes up to 2 days before acute admission. CONCLUSIONS These descriptive findings in a cohort of high risk individuals suggest a prehospital phase of what is termed PHS, which persisted on discharge and possibly worsened 5 days after discharge with worse self-rated health and depressive symptoms. Further research is needed. The role and place of community and hospital in such a cohort needs further investigation and research into PPH and PHS.

The Efficacy of Etoposide-Based Therapy in Adult Secondary Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Leonard Naymagon ◽  
Douglas Tremblay ◽  
John Mascarenhas
Keyword(s):  
Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis ◽  
Proportional Hazards ◽  
Multivariable Analysis ◽  
Cox Proportional Hazards ◽  
Rank Test ◽  
Kaplan Meier ◽  
Hazard Ratios ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Impact

Data supporting the use of etoposide-based therapy in hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) arise largely from pediatric studies. There is a lack of comparable data among adult patients with secondary HLH. We conducted a retrospective study to assess the impact of etoposide-based therapy on outcomes in adult secondary HLH. The primary outcome was overall survival. The log-rank test was used to compare Kaplan-Meier distributions of time-to-event outcomes. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Ninety adults with secondary HLH seen between January 1, 2009, and January 6, 2020, were included. Forty-two patients (47%) received etoposide-based therapy, while 48 (53%) received treatment only for their inciting proinflammatory condition. Thirty-three patients in the etoposide group (72%) and 32 in the no-etoposide group (67%) died during follow-up. Median survival in the etoposide and no-etoposide groups was 1.04 and 1.39 months, respectively. There was no significant difference in survival between the etoposide and no-etoposide groups (log-rank <i>p</i> = 0.4146). On multivariable analysis, there was no association between treatment with etoposide and survival (HR for death with etoposide = 1.067, 95% CI: 0.633–1.799, <i>p</i> = 0.8084). Use of etoposide-based therapy was not associated with improvement in outcomes in this large cohort of adult secondary HLH patients.

scholarly journals POS1189 THE IMPACT OF TELEMEDICINE AND COVID-19 ON A TERTIARY RHEUMATOLOGY SERVICE: A RETROSPECTIVE AUDIT

2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 876-877
Author(s):  
W. Zhu ◽  
T. De Silva ◽  
L. Eades ◽  
S. Morton ◽  
S. Ayoub ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immunosuppressive Therapy ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Diagnostic Delay ◽  
Cohort Differences ◽  
Phone Calls ◽  
Retrospective Audit ◽  
Common Diagnosis ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Impact

Background:Telemedicine was widely utilised to complement face-to-face (F2F) care in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the impact of this on patient care is poorly understood.Objectives:To investigate the impact of telemedicine during COVID-19 on outpatient rheumatology services.Methods:We retrospectively audited patient electronic medical records from rheumatology outpatient clinics in an urban tertiary rheumatology centre between April-May 2020 (telemedicine cohort) and April-May 2019 (comparator cohort). Differences in age, sex, primary diagnosis, medications, and proportion of new/review appointments were assessed using Mann-Whitney U and Chi-square tests. Univariate analysis was used to estimate associations between telemedicine usage and the ability to assign a diagnosis in patients without a prior rheumatological diagnosis, the frequency of changes to immunosuppression, subsequent F2F review, planned admissions or procedures, follow-up phone calls, and time to next appointment.Results:3,040 outpatient appointments were audited: 1,443 from 2019 and 1,597 from 2020. There was no statistically significant difference in the age, sex, proportion of new/review appointments, or frequency of immunosuppression use between the cohorts. Inflammatory arthritis (IA) was a more common diagnosis in the 2020 cohort (35.1% vs 31%, p=0.024). 96.7% (n=1,444) of patients seen in the 2020 cohort were reviewed via telemedicine. In patients without an existing rheumatological diagnosis, the odds of making a diagnosis at the appointment were significantly lower in 2020 (28.6% vs 57.4%; OR 0.30 [95% CI 0.16-0.53]; p<0.001). Clinicians were also less likely to change immunosuppressive therapy in 2020 (22.6% vs 27.4%; OR 0.78 [95% CI 0.65-0.92]; p=0.004). This was mostly driven by less de-escalation in therapy (10% vs 12.6%; OR 0.75 [95% CI 0.59-0.95]; p=0.019) as there was no statistically significant difference in the escalation or switching of immunosuppressive therapies. There was no significant difference in frequency of follow-up phone calls, however, patients seen in 2020 required earlier follow-up appointments (p<0.001). There was also no difference in unplanned rheumatological presentations but significantly fewer planned admissions and procedures in 2020 (1% vs 2.6%, p=0.002). Appointment non-attendance reduced in 2020 to 6.5% from 10.9% in 2019 (OR 0.57 [95% CI 0.44-0.74]; p<0.001), however the odds of discharging a patient from care were significantly lower in 2020 (3.9% vs 6%; OR 0.64 [95% CI 0.46-0.89]; p=0.008), although there was no significance when patients who failed to attend were excluded. Amongst patients seen via telemedicine in 2020, a subsequent F2F appointment was required in 9.4%. The predictors of needing a F2F review were being a new patient (OR 6.28 [95% CI 4.10-9.64]; p<0.001), not having a prior rheumatological diagnosis (OR 18.43 [95% CI: 2.35-144.63]; p=0.006), or having a diagnosis of IA (OR 2.85 [95% CI: 1.40-5.80]; p=0.004) or connective tissue disease (OR 3.22 [95% CI: 1.11-9.32]; p=0.031).Conclusion:Most patients in the 2020 cohort were seen via telemedicine. Telemedicine use during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with reduced clinic non-attendance, but with diagnostic delay, reduced likelihood of changing existing immunosuppressive therapy, earlier requirement for review, and lower likelihood of discharge. While the effects of telemedicine cannot be differentiated from changes in practice related to other aspects of the pandemic, they suggest that telemedicine may have a negative impact on the timeliness of management of rheumatology patients.Disclosure of Interests:None declared.

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