Impact of Postoperative Telemedicine Visit vs In-person Visit on Patient Satisfaction During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Study Overview
=================
Brief Summary
-----------------
The purpose of this clinical study is to evaluate whether remote video/audio postoperative visits (telemedicine visits) affects patient satisfaction compared to in-person visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. If the primary objective of the study is achieved, it would allow better understanding of how telemedicine can be integrated into modern surgical practice to take care of postoperative patients.

Official Title
-----------------
Impact of Postoperative Telemedicine Visit vs In-person Visit on Patient Satisfaction During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Conditions
-----------------
Covid19, Satisfaction, Patient, Telemedicine

Intervention / Treatment
-----------------
* Behavioral: Telemedicine visit
* Behavioral: In-person postoperative visit


Participation Criteria
=================
Eligibility Criteria
-----------------
Inclusion Criteria: Patients over 18 years of age inclusive at the time of the study who underwent colorectal surgery and are presenting for their first postoperative visit Patients with a computer or phone device with video and audio capabilities Exclusion Criteria: Children <18 years of age Patients with mental disability Patients without a computer or phone device with video and audio capabilities Patients who require physical intervention during their first postoperative visit (e.g. drain removal, suture removal, staple removal) Patients who are readmitted to the hospital prior to their first postoperative visit will be excluded.

Ages Eligible for Study
-----------------
Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 100 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
-----------------
All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
-----------------
Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
=================
How is the study designed?
-----------------

Design Details

Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Group I<br>Patients who will undergo telemedicine visit approximately 1 week postoperatively, then an in-person clinic visit approximately 4 weeks postoperatively | Behavioral: Telemedicine visit<br>* A postoperative visit with the patient's surgeon conducted remotely via audio/video smartphone app<br>* Other names: Remote audio/video visit, telehealth visit;|
| Active Comparator: Group II<br>Patients who will undergo in-person clinic visit approximately 1 week postoperatively, then a telemedicine visit approximately 4 weeks postoperatively | Behavioral: In-person postoperative visit<br>* A standard-of-care in-person postoperatively visit with the patient's surgeon<br>|

What is the study measuring?
-----------------
Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Patient satisfaction | Patient satisfaction score measured by electronic survey sent to all participating patients after their first postoperative visit | 7 to 14 days postoperatively | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Patient-reported rating of safety | Patient-reported sense of safety score rated from 1 to 5 with higher scores indicating greater sense of safety. This is designed to gauge how safe patients feel visiting the clinic in-person vs. online via telemedicine during the COVID pandemic | 7 to 14 days postoperatively | 
| Length of visit | Length of postoperative visit | 7 to 14 days postoperatively | 
| Patient willingness to recommend provider to peers rated from 1 to 5 | Patient willingness to recommend provider to peers rated from 1 to 5 | 7 to 14 days postoperatively | 
| Combined patient satisfaction score from 1st and 2nd postoperative visits | Combined patient satisfaction score from 1st and 2nd postoperative visits | 7 to 31 days postoperatively | 
| Distance (in kilometers) of patient's primary residence to the clinic location | Distance (in kilometers) of patient's primary residence to the clinic location | 7 to 31 days postoperatively | 
| 60-day rate of hospital readmission | Incidence of hospital readmission 60 days postoperatively | 60 days postoperatively | 
| 60-day rate of re-operation | Incidence of re-operation 60 days postoperatively | 60 days postoperatively | 

 Terms related to the study
=================
Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
-----------------
Covid19, Patient satisfaction, Telemedicine