Table 2.
The impact of COVID-19 on telemedicine use within pediatric surgery.
| Provider responses before COVID-19 (N = 37) | |
|---|---|
| Frequency of clinic | N (%) |
| Less than weekly | 2 (5.4) |
| Weekly | 13 (35.1) |
| Twice weekly | 11 (29.7) |
| Three or more times per week | 11 (29.7) |
| What percentage of clinic visits are preoperative? (N = 37) | |
| Less than 10% | 9 (25) |
| 10-25% | 5 (13.9) |
| 25-50% | 15 (41.7) |
| 50-75% | 5 (13.9) |
| More than 75% | 2 (5.6) |
| What percentage of clinic visits are post-operative? | |
| Less than 10% | 11 (29.7) |
| 10-25% | 18 (48.7) |
| 25-50% | 5 (13.5) |
| 50-75% | 3 (8.1) |
| More than 75% | 0 (0) |
| Would You Choose to Add a Role for Telemedicine to Your Practice? | |
| Yes | 21 (56.8) |
| No | 5 (13.5) |
| I use telemedicine but WOULD expand use | 10 (27) |
| I use telemedicine but WOULD NOT expand use | 1 (2.7) |
| Provider Perspective After COVID-19 (N = 36) | |
| The following were decreased during the COVID-19 restrictive period | N(%) |
| The frequency of clinic | 23 (63.9) |
| The number of patients seen each week | 36 (100) |
| The percentage of new patient visits | 19 (52.8) |
| The percentage of post-op visits (N = 37) | 26 (74.3) |
| The percentage of visits resulting in surgery being recommended (N=37) | 21 (60) |
| During the restrictive period, what percentage of your clinic visits were telemedicine visits? | |
| None | 0 (0) |
| Less than 10% | 2 (5.3) |
| 10-25% | 5 (13.2) |
| 26-50% | 8 (21.1) |
| 51-75% | 5 (15.8) |
| 76-99% | 12 (34.2) |
| 100% | 4 (10.5) |
| Compared to before the restrictive period, do you feel more confident using telemedicine? | |
| Yes | 35 (97.2) |
| No | 0 (0) |
| Unchanged | 1 (2.8) |
| If given the option, would you offer telemedicine appointments for your patients going forward? | |
| Yes | 34 (94.4) |
| No | 2 (5.6) |