Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36324014›Full record

ArticleTechniques in coloproctology2023

Use of telemedicine in the postoperative assessment of proctological patients: a case-control study.

F Gaj, M Peracchini, D Passannanti, S Quaresima, F Giovanardi, Q Lai

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In one paragraph

Article in Techniques in coloproctology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

F GajGeneral Surgery and Organ Transplantation Unit, Department of General and Specialistic Surgery, Sapienza University of Rome, AOU Policlinico Umberto I of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161, Rome, Italy.
M PeracchiniIsraelite Hospital, Rome, Italy.
D PassannantiGeneral Surgery and Organ Transplantation Unit, Department of General and Specialistic Surgery, Sapienza University of Rome, AOU Policlinico Umberto I of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161, Rome, Italy.
S QuaresimaGeneral Surgery and Organ Transplantation Unit, Department of General and Specialistic Surgery, Sapienza University of Rome, AOU Policlinico Umberto I of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161, Rome, Italy.
F GiovanardiGeneral Surgery and Organ Transplantation Unit, Department of General and Specialistic Surgery, Sapienza University of Rome, AOU Policlinico Umberto I of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161, Rome, Italy.
Q LaiGeneral Surgery and Organ Transplantation Unit, Department of General and Specialistic Surgery, Sapienza University of Rome, AOU Policlinico Umberto I of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161, Rome, Italy. quirino.lai@uniroma1.it.ORCID 0000-0003-1487-3235

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTelemedicine is emerging as an easy way to communicate between patients and surgeons. Use of telemedicine increased during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. WhatsApp is one of the most common smartphone applications for user-friendly telemedicine. The aim of this study was to evaluate patient perception of health quality and positive outcomes using a diary sent by the patient to the surgeon via WhatsApp during the first post-discharge week after proctologic surgery.

methodsNinety-eight patients discharged after proctologic surgery at the Israelite Hospital of Rome and the AOU Policlinico Umberto I of Rome in 1 January-31 December 2019 were divided into two groups: the WhatsApp group (group A), (n = 36) and the no WhatsApp group (group B) (n = 62). Group A patients received a protocol to follow for the day-by-day diary during the first post-discharge week and sending it by WhatsApp to the surgeon. Group B patients only received recommendations at discharge. The tool's usefulness was assessed by a questionnaire one month after the intervention.

resultsThe two groups were homogeneous for age, sex, schooling, employment, and proctologic pathology. Group A patients had less difficulty keeping a diary (p < 0.0001). Group A patients had the perception of better follow-up post-discharge (p = 0.002). The use of the diary sent by WhatsApp significantly improved the perception of positive post-intervention outcomes (p = 0.007). WhatsApp was the only independent predictor of perception of post-surgical positive outcomes (odds ratio = 4.06; 95% CI 1.35-12.24; p = 0.01).

conclusionsThe use of WhatsApp in the post-discharge period improves the lifestyle quality of the patients and their perception of the safety and quality of care received.

Indexed as

COVID-19TelemedicineAftercareCase-Control StudiesHumansPatient DischargeAnal fissureFistulaHemorrhoidsOutcomeTelemedicineWhatsApp

Identifiers

PMID36324014
PMCPMC9629887

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Registered trials

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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.