Table 2.
Factors Associated with Patient Acceptance of Online Postoperative Care
| Patient and operative characteristics | Accept online care, n=38 |
Do not accept online care, n=12 |
p Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, y, mean±SD | 49±14 | 52±18 | 0.45 |
| Travel distance, miles, median (IQR) | 27 (15–45) | 15 (10–27) | 0.09 |
| Education, n (%) | 0.64 | ||
| High school | 7 (18) | 4 (33) | |
| Associate’s degree | 7 (18) | 2 (17) | |
| Bachelor’s degree | 12 (32) | 2 (17) | |
| Masters/doctoral degree | 12 (32) | 4 (33) | |
| Employment, n (%) | 0.68 | ||
| Employed | 25 (66) | 9 (75) | |
| Unemployed | 4 (11) | 0 (0) | |
| Student | 5 (13) | 2 (17) | |
| Retired | 4 (11) | 1 (8) | |
| Operation, n (%) | 0.45 | ||
| Laparoscopic/open inguinal hernia repair | 17 (45) | 8 (67) | |
| Laparoscopic cholecystectomy | 10 (26) | 3 (25) | |
| Laparoscopic/open umbilical/epigastric hernia repair | 8 (21) | 1 (8) | |
| Laparoscopic ventral hernia repair | 3 (8) | 0 (0) | |
| Patients’ surgeons’ experience, n (%) | 0.55 | ||
| Less than 15 years in practice | 13 (34) | 3 (25) | |
| 15 or more years in practice | 25 (66) | 9 (75) | |
| Device used, n (%) | 0.42 | ||
| Smartphone | 22 (58) | 6 (50) | |
| Tablet | 9 (24) | 5 (42) | |
| Computer/digital camera | 7 (18) | 1 (8) | |
| Required assistance, n (%) | 0.04 | ||
| No | 28 (74) | 5 (42) | |
| Yes | 10 (26) | 7 (58) | |
| Difference in patient time for online versus clinic visit, min, median (IQR) | 90 (60–130) | 53 (23–73) | <0.01 |
IQR, interquartile range; SD, standard deviation.