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Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Telemedicine Visits in a Pediatric Gastroenterology Service in the Context of COVID-19

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  • Cristina Adroher Mas

    (Sant Joan de Déu Hospital, Catalan Ministry of Health, 08950 Barcelona, Spain
    Center for Research in Health and Economics, Pompeu Fabra University (CRES-UPF), 08002 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Celia Calvo Aroca

    (Sant Joan de Déu Hospital, Catalan Ministry of Health, 08950 Barcelona, Spain
    Center for Research in Health and Economics, Pompeu Fabra University (CRES-UPF), 08002 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Ricard Casadevall Llandrich

    (Sant Joan de Déu Hospital, Catalan Ministry of Health, 08950 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Francesc López Seguí

    (Center for Research in Health and Economics, Pompeu Fabra University (CRES-UPF), 08002 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Javier Martin Carpi

    (Sant Joan de Déu Hospital, Catalan Ministry of Health, 08950 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Francesc García-Cuyàs

    (Sant Joan de Déu Hospital, Catalan Ministry of Health, 08950 Barcelona, Spain)

Abstract

Background: During the first months of COVID-19, the Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition service of the Hospital Sant Joan de Déu in Barcelona, a leading pediatric center in Spain, introduced a new model of non-face-to-face care. Objective: To evaluate the impact of telephone consultations compared to those conducted face-to-face on healthcare utilization. Methodology: Two main indicators of effectiveness are used: the degree of resolution (percentage of first telemedicine visits that did not generate any new visits in the following 4 and 12 months) and the average number of subsequent visits. A distinction was made between visits for general pathologies (less complex) and those for pathologies treated in monographic consultations (chronic or complex pathologies). Effectiveness at 4 and 12 months was also compared. Results: After 4 months from the first visit, the degree of resolution is lower in the first telemedicine visits than in face-to-face visits for both general pathologies and those of monographic agendas for chronic and complex pathologies. After twelve months, the first general telemedicine visits are less resolute than face-to-face visits, while the resolution rate is the same for chronic and complex pathology visits. Each telemedicine visit generates on average more visits than face-to-face visits. In the short term, 133.4% more in the case of general visits and 51.4% more in the case of chronic and complex visits. In the long term, general telemedicine visits generate 57.31% more visits, while no statistically significant difference is observed between chronic and complex face-to-face and telemedicine visits. Conclusion: The results of this study show that the resolution capacity of the non-face-to-face model in pediatric care in the pandemic context is generally lower and generates more successive visits than the face-to-face model. This lower performance of the telemedicine model should be counterbalanced with its advantages.

Suggested Citation

  • Cristina Adroher Mas & Celia Calvo Aroca & Ricard Casadevall Llandrich & Francesc López Seguí & Javier Martin Carpi & Francesc García-Cuyàs, 2022. "Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Telemedicine Visits in a Pediatric Gastroenterology Service in the Context of COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-7, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:23:p:15999-:d:988998
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Nkiruka D Eze & Céu Mateus & Tiago Cravo Oliveira Hashiguchi, 2020. "Telemedicine in the OECD: An umbrella review of clinical and cost-effectiveness, patient experience and implementation," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(8), pages 1-24, August.
    2. Francesc López Seguí & Jordi Franch Parella & Xavier Gironès García & Jacobo Mendioroz Peña & Francesc García Cuyàs & Cristina Adroher Mas & Anna García-Altés & Josep Vidal-Alaball, 2020. "A Cost-Minimization Analysis of a Medical Record-based, Store and Forward and Provider-to-provider Telemedicine Compared to Usual Care in Catalonia: More Agile and Efficient, Especially for Users," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-9, March.
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