Patient Satisfaction With the Use of Telemedicine in the Management of Hyperthyroidism

Satisfaction with telemedicine use during COVID-19 pandemic in the UK: a systematic review

Background: Telemedicine became a fundamental part of healthcare provision during COVID-19 pandemic. An evaluation of telemedicine-associated satisfaction helps the service develop more viable applications. This review evaluated the satisfaction of healthcare users and providers and their willingness to use this modality in future.Methods: The study was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. A search on empirical articles published between March 2020 and December 2022 was performed on 'PubMed' and 'Scopus' databases. Findings that reported on satisfaction of patients, families and caregivers as well as clinicians were extracted and analysed. Quality of included studies was assessed. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, the review included 27 eligible studies.Results: Data was found from a variety of emergency and non-emergency departments of primary, secondary, and specialised healthcare. Almost all studies were undertaken within the NHS. There were many tools that measured satisfaction. Satisfaction was high among recipients of healthcare, scoring 9-10 on a scale of 0-10 or ranging from 73.3% to 100%. Convenience was rated high in every specialty examined. Satisfaction of clinicians was high throughout the specialities despite connection failure and concerns about confidentiality of information. Nonetheless, studies reported perception of increased barriers to accessing care and inequalities for vulnerable patients especially in older people. In general, willingness to use telemedicine in future was high in the recipients as well as the providers of healthcare.Conclusion: COVID-19 pandemic has transformed healthcare in the UK and promoted a revolution in telemedicine applications. Satisfaction was high among both recipient and provider of healthcare. Telemedicine managed to provide a continued care throughout the pandemic while maintaining social distance. The current review presented commendable evidence to encourage different specialities to engage in telemedicine application.

Satisfaction of Patients and Physicians with Telehealth Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVES

The rapid spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) posed significant challenges to healthcare systems, prompting the widespread adoption of telehealth to provide medical services while minimizing the risk of virus transmission. This study aimed to assess the satisfaction rates of both patients and physicians with telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

Searches were conducted in the Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus databases from January 1, 2020, to January 1, 2023. We included studies that utilized telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic and reported satisfaction data for both patients and physicians. Data extraction was performed using a form designed by the researchers. A meta-analysis was carried out using random-effects models with the OpenMeta-Analyst software. A subgroup analysis was conducted based on the type of telehealth services used: telephone, video, and a combination of both.

RESULTS

From an initial pool of 1,454 articles, 62 met the inclusion criteria for this study. The most commonly used methods were video and telephone calls. The overall satisfaction rate with telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic was 81%. Satisfaction rates were higher among patients at 83%, compared to 74% among physicians. Specifically, telephone consultations had a satisfaction rate of 77%, video consultations 86%, and a mix of both methods yielded a 77% satisfaction rate.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, satisfaction with telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic was considered satisfactory, with both patients and physicians reporting high levels of satisfaction. Telehealth has proven to be an effective alternative for delivering healthcare services during pandemics.

Are We Adequately Measuring Patient Satisfaction with Telemedicine? A Systematic Review with a Meta-Analysis

Introduction: Telemedicine has gained significant attention as an effective means of providing health care remotely, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patient satisfaction is a critical aspect of implementing telemedicine, but we have no comprehensive understanding of satisfaction levels and the associated factors. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess patient satisfaction related to telemedicine consultations and to identify key factors influencing satisfaction levels. Results: The search yielded a total of 147 cross-sectional studies, of which 107 met the criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Overall, patient satisfaction with teleconsultations was found to be high, with satisfaction levels ranging from 38 to 100 on a scale of 0 to 100. Only a small percentage (2.72%) of the studies reported satisfaction levels below 75%. Surprisingly, most studies used nonvalidated satisfaction questionnaires, which highlight the need for the development of standardized measurement instruments. Conclusions: This systematic review and meta-analysis provide evidence that patients generally exhibit high levels of satisfaction with telemedicine consultations. The use of nonvalidated satisfaction questionnaires in many studies, however, suggests a need for more standardized assessment tools. Factors such as the time interval between the consultation and the assessment were found to influence satisfaction levels. Understanding these factors can help health care providers improve telemedicine services and patient-provider relationships and optimize health care delivery in the context of telemedicine. Further research is warranted to develop validated satisfaction measurement instruments and explore any additional factors that influence patient satisfaction with telemedicine.

Patient Satisfaction with Telemedicine during the COVID-19 Pandemic-A Systematic Review

Telemedicine is a convenient tool for providing medical care remotely. It is routinely offered as an alternative to face-to-face consultations in healthcare settings all over the world. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and increased use of telemedicine in everyday clinical practice, the effectiveness of this modality and patient satisfaction with telemedicine is a subject of growing concern. PubMed and Google Scholar databases were searched. Papers published between January 2020 and August 2021 which met inclusion and exclusion criteria were analyzed. During the COVID-19 pandemic patients have found telemedicine a beneficial tool for consulting healthcare providers. A high level of satisfaction with telehealth was observed in each study across every medical specialty. Telemedicine is undoubtedly a convenient tool that has helped ensure continuity of medical care during the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to its considerable potential. In particular situations, telehealth may adequately replace face-to-face consultation. Regular patients’ feedback is necessary to improve the use of telemedicine in the future.

[Clinical and demographic analysis of telemedicine «doctor-patient» consultations at the Endocrinology Research Centre]

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the development of telemedicine technologies. Today there is evidence of the successful use of telemedicine in various fields of health care, in particular in endocrinology. At the same time, there is not enough information for effective integration of telemedicine into the management of patients with various endocrinopathies.

AIM

The aim of this study is a clinical and demographic assessment of the structure of telemedicine consultations (TMC) conducted at the Endocrinology Research Centre in 2020-2021.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A single-stage, single-center retrospective study was conducted. The study included all patients who received at least one TMC at the Endocrinology Research Centre in 2020-2021. Clinical and demographic information was analyzed (gender, age of patients, region of residence, ICD-10 code). All patients signed voluntary informed consent for TMC. The obtained data were processed using the Microsoft Office 2013 software package.

RESULTS

In 2020, 1,548 TMC were held, in 2021 - 4180 TMC. Among adults, women predominated in the structure of referrals (83-86%), among children there is a tendency towards equivalent referrals for boys and girls (in 2021 - 45% and 55%, respectively). The median age of adult patients in 2021 was 38 years [31; 53], among children - 11 years [7; 14]. In 2020, residents of 74 regions of the Russian Federation applied for TMC, in 2021 - of 82 regions. There is a tendency towards the prevalence of patients from the Central, Volga, Southern and North Caucasian federal districts in the TMC structure. Diseases of the thyroid gland predominated in the nosological structure of TMC.

CONCLUSION

TMC turned out to be in demand in patients with a wide variety of endocrinopathies. It is important to conduct further analysis of both the TMC market and the effectiveness of remote counseling for various nosologies to determine the place of telemedicine in the modern healthcare structure and to introduce TMK into the system of clinical guidelines and programs of territorial compulsory medical insurance funds.

The telemedicine experience: using principles of clinical excellence to identify disparities and optimize care

The use of telemedicine has increased significantly during the Corona virus disease 2019 pandemic. This manuscript serves to identify the underlying principles of clinical excellence in telemedicine and to determine whether effective care practices can be generalized as a one-size-fits-all model or must instead be tailored to individual patient populations.A survey assessing care quality and patient satisfaction for patients using telemedicine was created and administered via email to 2 urban cohorts of varying demographics and socioeconomic backgrounds: a population of patients with prior stroke and cerebrovascular disease, and a cohort of patients followed for interstitial lung disease. Results were compared across groups to determine the generalizability of effective practices across populations.Individuals taking part in telemedicine were more likely to be White, more affluent, and woman, regardless of clinical diagnosis compared with a similar cohort of patients seen in-person the year prior. A lower-than-expected number of patients who were Black and of lower socioeconomic status followed up virtually, indicating potential barriers to access. Overall, patients who participated in televisits were satisfied with the experience and felt that the care met their medical needs; however, those who were older were more likely to experience technical difficulties and prefer in-person visits, while those with less education were less likely to feel that their questions were addressed in an understandable way.When thoughtfully designed, telemedicine practices can be an effective model for patient care, though implementation must consider population characteristics including age, education, and socioeconomic status, and strategies such as ease of access versus optimization of communication strategies should be tailored to meet individual patient needs.

Thyroid and COVID-19: a review on pathophysiological, clinical and organizational aspects

BACKGROUND

Thyroid dysfunction has been observed in patients with COVID-19, and endocrinologists are requested to understand this clinical issue. Pandemic-related restrictions and reorganization of healthcare services may affect thyroid disease management.

OBJECTIVE AND METHODS

To analyze and discuss the relationship between COVID-19 and thyroid diseases from several perspectives. PubMed/MEDLINE, Google Scholar, Scopus, ClinicalTrial.gov were searched for this purpose by using free text words and medical subject headings as follows: "sars cov 2", "covid 19", "subacute thyroiditis", "atypical thyroiditis", "chronic thyroiditis", "hashimoto's thyroiditis", "graves' disease", "thyroid nodule", "differentiated thyroid cancer", "medullary thyroid cancer", "methimazole", "levothyroxine", "multikinase inhibitor", "remdesivir", "tocilizumab". Data were collected, analyzed, and discussed to answer the following clinical questions: "What evidence suggests that COVID-19 may induce detrimental consequences on thyroid function?"; "Could previous or concomitant thyroid diseases deteriorate the prognosis of COVID-19 once the infection has occurred?"; "Could medical management of thyroid diseases influence the clinical course of COVID-19?"; "Does medical management of COVID-19 interfere with thyroid function?"; "Are there defined strategies to better manage endocrine diseases despite restrictive measures and in-hospital and ambulatory activities reorganizations?".

RESULTS

SARS-CoV-2 may induce thyroid dysfunction that is usually reversible, including subclinical and atypical thyroiditis. Patients with baseline thyroid diseases are not at higher risk of contracting or transmitting SARS-CoV-2, and baseline thyroid dysfunction does not foster a worse progression of COVID-19. However, it is unclear whether low levels of free triiodothyronine, observed in seriously ill patients with COVID-19, may worsen the disease's clinical progression and, consequently, if triiodothyronine supplementation could be a tool for reducing this burden. Glucocorticoids and heparin may affect thyroid hormone secretion and measurement, respectively, leading to possible misdiagnosis of thyroid dysfunction in severe cases of COVID-19. High-risk thyroid nodules require a fine-needle aspiration without relevant delay, whereas other non-urgent diagnostic procedures and therapeutic interventions should be postponed.

DISCUSSION

Currently, we know that SARS-CoV-2 could lead to short-term and reversible thyroid dysfunction, but thyroid diseases seem not to affect the progression of COVID-19. Adequate management of patients with thyroid diseases remains essential during the pandemic, but it could be compromised because of healthcare service restrictions. Endocrine care centers should continuously recognize and classify priority cases for in-person visits and therapeutic procedures. Telemedicine may be a useful tool for managing patients not requiring in-person visits.

Changes in Patient Satisfaction Scores During the Early COVID-19 Pandemic

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused a rapid and widespread application of telemedicine services in the outpatient setting. Prior to COVID-19, patient satisfaction was measured with Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Clinician & Group Survey (CG-CAHPS) and was then measured with the Press Ganey telemedicine survey. Both surveys ask about a patient’s likelihood to recommend a particular medical practice, which is a useful, but imperfect, surrogate for overall satisfaction. The purpose of this analysis was to identify any changes in patient satisfaction scores with the implementation of telemedicine services. A retrospective analysis of our institution’s experience during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the months immediately prior to the pandemic was conducted. The percent of patients with a “Top box” response to survey questions regarding their likelihood to recommend a medical practice were compared. A total of 14 430 CG-CAHPS results collected in November 2019 through February 2020 were compared to 22 009 telemedicine survey results collected between March and May 2020. In general, most medical specialties incorporated telemedicine but suffered a decrease in their patient’s likelihood to recommend a medical practice during the first few months of the pandemic. However, the magnitude of this decrease was variable by medical specialty. Physical medicine and rehabilitation and pain medicine had relatively poor scores prior to the pandemic which did not statistically change. Oncology was the sole medical specialty that continued to have unchanged high patient satisfaction scores. These data provide insights for the refinement of telemedicine.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Self-Reported Outcomes in Patients With Adrenal Insufficiency

CONTEXT

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted healthcare environment.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the impact of the pandemic on self-reported outcomes in patients with adrenal insufficiency (AI).

DESIGN AND SETTING

Prospective longitudinal survey study at 2 tertiary centers.

PARTICIPANTS

Patients with AI.

INTERVENTION

Patient-centered questionnaire.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21, Short Form-36, and AI self-management.

RESULTS

Of 342 patients, 157 (46%) had primary AI, 109 (32%) had secondary AI, and 76 (22%) had glucocorticoid-induced AI. When compared to prepandemic, daily glucocorticoid dose and number of adrenal crises did not change. However, patients reported a higher financial impact from AI (34% vs 23%, P = 0.006) and difficulty accessing medical care (31% vs 7%, P < 0.0001) during the pandemic. A third of patients reported difficulty managing AI during the pandemic. After adjusting for duration and subtypes of AI, younger patients [odds ratio (OR) 2.3, CI 95% 1.3-4.1], women (OR 3.7, CI 95% 1.9-7.1), poor healthcare access(OR 4.2, CI 95% 2.3-7.7), lack of good insurance support (OR 2.8, CI 95% 1.3-5.9), and those with a higher financial impact (OR 2.3, CI 95% 1.3-4.3) reported greater difficulties managing AI. Patients were more likely to report a higher anxiety score (≥8) if they found managing AI challenging during the pandemic (OR 3.0, CI 95% 1.3-6.9), and had lower Physical Component Summary (OR 4.9, CI 95% 2.2-11.0) and Mental Component Summary (OR 4.1, CI 95% 1.8-9.5) scores prior to the pandemic.

CONCLUSIONS

A third of patients with AI reported difficulties with management of AI during the pandemic, particularly in younger patients, women, and those with poor healthcare access.

The Research on Patient Satisfaction with Remote Healthcare Prior to and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The issue of research on patient satisfaction with healthcare services took on a completely new dimension due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the developing telehealth services. This results from the fact that during the pandemic, remote healthcare was often the only possible form of care provision to the patient. The COVID-19 pandemic has substantially accelerated the implementation of remote healthcare in healthcare institutions and made it an essential tool for providing healthcare services. The objective of the literature review was to study the research on patient satisfaction with remote healthcare services prior to and during the pandemic. The study featured a literature review of electronic databases, such as: Medline, ProQuest, PubMED, Ebsco, Google Scholar, WoS. The identified empirical papers were classified in two groups concerning the research on patient satisfaction prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and were divided and descriptively synthesised. Certain limitations to the methodical quality of the research were demonstrated as result of the conducted analyses. It was also ascertained that researchers lack clarity on the method of defining and measuring satisfaction prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

I fear COVID but diabetic foot (DF) is worse: a survey on patients' perception of a telemedicine service for DF during lockdown

AIMS

To evaluate the patients' perceptions of telemedicine visits during COVID-19 lockdown and their level of anxiety about COVID and diabetic foot (DF).

METHODS

In May 2020, we contacted by phone all the patients who underwent in March and April to remote monitoring visits for DF during the lockdown for COVID-19, with a structured interview, focusing on their perceptions about telemedicine service for DF and on the anxiety toward COVID and DF.

RESULTS

We analyzed 257 remote monitoring visits in 211 patients. Two hundred and six patients answered the follow-up interview; 177 patients (85.9%) remembered the monitoring visit, 140 (67.9%) the health care professional and 181 patients (87.9%) the reason of contact; 169 patients were alone during the visit, 37 with a relative. Patients judged useful both the monitoring during pandemic (4.35 ± 0.28 on a maximum of five) and the possibility to continue after the lockdown (4.34 ± 0.23 on a maximum of five). Eventually, we observed that DF patients were more worried by DF than by COVID on a scale from 0 (not fear at all) to 5 (terrified) (4.79 ± 0.05 vs. 3.27 ± 1.03, p < 0.05). This difference was higher in previously ulcerated patients (4.84 ± 0.03 vs. 3.03 ± 1.13, p < 0.05) and even more in amputees (4.93 ± 0.03 vs. 2.73 ± 1.21, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

DF patients appreciated televisits during lockdown and the continuation of this service after its end. In this context DF prevails on COVID in the worries of patients, especially if they are recurrent ones.

Patient Satisfaction and Associated Factors During COVID-19 Pandemic in North Shoa Health Care Facilities

BACKGROUND

Patient satisfaction is an indicator of healthcare quality service and involved as an outcome measure. Quality of healthcare service and patient satisfaction has been affected by the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. It induced uncertainness and shortage of medical supplies due to a limited global movement. Therefore, this study aimed to assess patient satisfaction and associated factors among chronic patients who had a follow-up in North Shoa healthcare facilities.

METHODS

An institutional-based cross-sectional study was used to select 410 study participants through a systematic random sampling technique. Data were collected by a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire, entered into Epi Info version 7, and transported to SPSS version 23 for analysis. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regressions were used to identify the factors associated with satisfaction. The odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval was computed, and p-value <0.05 was considered statistical significance in the multivariable model.

RESULTS

The overall level of patient satisfaction was 44.6%. The presence of sign and direction indicators (AOR=3.26, 95% CI=1.1, 9.92), obtaining some ordered drugs (AOR=3.7, 95% CI=1.1, 12.54), getting alcohol for hand cleaning (AOR=2.66, 95% CI=1.1,6.65), obtaining sanitizer for hand cleaning (AOR=4.45, 95% CI=1.72,11.52), and maintaining social distancing (AOR=2.63, 95% CI=1.21, 5.70) were factors associated with patient's satisfaction.

CONCLUSION

The level of patient satisfaction was very low during a COVID-19 pandemic. The presence of sign and direction indicators, availability of drugs, social distancing, availability of alcohol, and sanitizer were factors associated with patient satisfaction. The intervention targeted at increasing patient satisfaction and improving the quality of service during COVID-19 through maintaining social distancing and availing alcohol or sanitizers is necessary.