Lin JC, Welle N, Ding J, Chuen J. A look to the future: Pandemic-induced digital technologies in vascular surgery.
Semin Vasc Surg 2021;
34:139-151. [PMID:
34642034 PMCID:
PMC8502076 DOI:
10.1053/j.semvascsurg.2021.08.003]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Like many areas of medicine, vascular surgery has been transformed by the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic. Public health precautions to minimize disease transmission have led to reduced attendance at hospitals and clinics in elective and emergency settings; fewer face-to-face and hands-on clinical interactions; and increased reliance on telemedicine, virtual attendance, investigations, and digital therapeutics. However, a “silver lining” to the COVID-19 pandemic may be the mainstream acceptance and acceleration of telemedicine, remote monitoring, digital health technology, and three-dimensional technologies, such as three-dimensional printing and virtual reality, by connecting health care providers to patients in a safe, reliable, and timely manner, and supplanting face-to-face surgical simulation and training. This review explores the impact of these changes in the delivery of vascular surgical care.
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