Do Postoperative Telehealth Visits Require a High Rate of Redundant In-Person Evaluation After Upper Extremity Surgery?

Background Telehealth platforms may save resources for patients and providers, but the precise impact of their incorporation during the postoperative period is not well understood. The goal of this study is to determine whether telehealth incorporation in the postoperative period leads to an overall increase in healthcare utilization after upper extremity surgery. Methodology Patients seen for a postoperative telehealth visit after upper extremity surgery were randomly selected and retrospectively enrolled. Complications and the total number of postoperative visits before clinical discharge were recorded and compared to controls matched by surgery type and surgeon. Results A total of 56 patients were seen for 60 telehealth visits. The most common surgical procedures were distal radius open-reduction internal fixation (n = 8), open carpal tunnel release (n = 8), and endoscopic carpal tunnel release (n = 6). One telehealth visit (1.7%) required conversion to in-person evaluation due to suspected superficial infection necessitating in-person physical examination. The average number of postoperative visits prior to clinical discharge was 2.6 in the telehealth group compared to 2.7 in matched controls (p = 0.886). Complication rates were similar between groups. Conclusions The rate of necessary in-person evaluation after postoperative telehealth visits was less than 2%. The incorporation of telehealth visits did not appear to increase healthcare utilization after upper extremity surgery. Accordingly, the postoperative period is likely an ideal application for safe and effective telehealth implementation.