Trial reportApplied clinical informatics2017
Comparison of secure messaging application (WhatsApp) and standard telephone usage for consultations on Length of Stay in the ED. A prospective randomized controlled study.
Trial report in Applied clinical informatics, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Mobile technologies to support healthcare provider to healthcare provider communication and management of care.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2020Pooled it
- Using instant messaging applications for consultations in the emergency department: A cross-sectional survey.PloS one · 2026Article
- How are instant messaging applications used informally for paediatric health consultations in Pakistan? A qualitative study with caregivers and healthcare providers in Punjab.BMJ public health · 2026Article
- Article
- Article
- Advancing orthopaedic trauma care through WhatsApp: An analysis of clinical and non-clinical applications, challenges, and future directions.World journal of orthopedics · 2024Review
- Electronic Health Record Messaging Patterns of Health Care Professionals in Inpatient Medicine.JAMA network open · 2023Article
- An Audit and Survey of Informal Use of Instant Messaging for Dermatology in District Hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Essential consultants' skills and attitudes (Willing CONSULT): a cross-sectional survey.BMC medical education · 2021Article
- WhatsApp Tele-Medicine - usage patterns and physicians views on the platform.Israel journal of health policy research · 2021Article
- Understanding How to Improve the Use of Clinical Coordination Mechanisms between Primary and Secondary Care Doctors: Clues from Catalonia.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- Development of a "Cellphone Stewardship Framework": Legal, Regulatory, and Ethical Issues.Telemedicine journal and e-health : the official journal of the American Telemedicine Association · 2021Article
- Evaluation of a Managed Surgical Consultation Network in Malawi.World journal of surgery · 2021Article
- Instant messaging application usage for clinical consultation among orthopedic surgery residents in Turkey: A survey study.Acta orthopaedica et traumatologica turcica · 2021Article
- Use of WhatsApp for Polyclinic Consultation of Suspected Patients With COVID-19: Retrospective Case Control Study.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2020Article
- Electronic Consultations (eConsults) for Safe and Equitable Coordination of Virtual Outpatient Specialty Care.Applied clinical informatics · 2020Article
- Evaluating the Impact of a New Smartphone Texting Tool on Patient Care in Obstetrics, an Emergent Healthcare Setting.Applied clinical informatics · 2019Article
- Evaluation of Secure Messaging Applications for a Health Care System: A Case Study.Applied clinical informatics · 2019Article
- WhatsApp in Stroke Systems: Current Use and Regulatory Concerns.Frontiers in neurology · 2018Article
- Use of smartphone-based instant messaging services in medical practice: a cross-sectional study.Sao Paulo medical journal = Revista paulista de medicinaArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveConsultation, the process of an Emergency Physician seeking an opinion from other specialties, occurs frequently in the Emergency Department (ED). The aim of this study was to determine the effect of secure messaging application (WhatsApp) usage for medical consultations on Emergency Department Length of Stay (ED LOS) and consult time.
methodsWe conducted a prospective, randomized controlled trial in the ED using allocation concealment over three months. Consultations requested in the ED were allocated into two groups: consultations requested via the secure messaging application and consultations requested by telephone as verbal.
resultsA total of 439 consultations requested in the ED were assessed for eligibility and 345 were included in the final analysis: 173 consultations were conducted using secure messaging application and 172 consultations were conducted using standard telephone communications. The median ED LOS was 240 minutes (IQR:230-270, 95% CI:240 to 255.2) for patients in the secure messaging application group and 277 minutes (IQR:270-287.8, 95% CI:277 to 279) for patients in the telephone group. The median total ED LOS was significantly lower among consults conducted using Secure messaging application relative to consults conducted by telephone (median dif: -30, 95%CI:-37to-25, p<0.0001). The median consult time was 158 minutes (IQR:133 to 177.25, 95% CI:150 to 169) for patients in the Secure messaging application group and 170 minutes (IQR:165 to 188.5, 95% CI:170-171) for patients in the Telephone group (median dif: -12, 95%CI:-19 to-7,p<0.0001). Consultations completed without ED arrival was 61.8% in the secure messaging group and 33.1% in the Telephone group (dif: 28.7, 95% CI:48.3 to 66, p<0.001).
conclusionsUse of secure messaging application for consultations in the ED reduces the total ED LOS and consultation time. Consultation with secure messaging application eliminated more than half of in-person ED consultation visits.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.