Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37173703›Full record

ArticleBMC health services research2023

Virtual visits at the Helsinki Head and Neck Center during the COVID-19 pandemic: patient safety incidents and the experiences of patients and staff.

Morag Tolvi, Lotta-Maria Oksanen, Lasse Lehtonen, Ahmed Geneid, Pia Männikkö, Hellevi Ruokonen, Anna Majander, Susan Arminen, Leena-Maija Aaltonen

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Article in BMC health services research, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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

9 authors.

Morag TolviDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 263, 00029 HUS, Kasarmikatu 11-13Helsinki, FIN, Finland. morag.tolvi@hus.fi.
Lotta-Maria OksanenDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 263, 00029 HUS, Kasarmikatu 11-13Helsinki, FIN, Finland.
Lasse LehtonenDiagnostic Center, HUSLAB, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Ahmed GeneidDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 263, 00029 HUS, Kasarmikatu 11-13Helsinki, FIN, Finland.
Pia MännikköCustomer Service Department, Head and Neck Center, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
Hellevi RuokonenDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Anna MajanderDepartment of Ophthalmology, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Susan ArminenQuality of Care and Patient Safety Department, Head and Neck Center, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
Leena-Maija AaltonenDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 263, 00029 HUS, Kasarmikatu 11-13Helsinki, FIN, Finland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, health care had to find new ways to care for patients while reducing infection transmission. The role of telemedicine role has grown exponentially.

methodsA questionnaire on experiences and satisfaction was sent to the staff of the Head and Neck Center of Helsinki University Hospital and to otorhinolaryngology patients treated remotely between March and June 2020. Additionally, patient safety incident reports were examined for incidents involving virtual visits.

resultsStaff (response rate 30.6%, (n = 116)) opinions seemed to be quite polarized. In general, staff felt virtual visits were useful for select groups of patients and certain situations, and beneficial in addition to face-to-face visits, not instead of them. Patients (response rate 11.7%, (n = 77)) gave positive feedback on virtual visits, with savings in time (average 89 min), distance travelled (average 31.4 km) and travel expenses (average 13.84€).

conclusionsWhile telemedicine was implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure patient treatment, its usefulness after the pandemic must be examined. Evaluation of treatment pathways is critical to ensure that quality of care is upheld while new treatment protocols are introduced. Telemedicine offers the opportunity to save environmental, temporal, and monetary resources. Nonetheless, the appropriate use of telemedicine is essential, and clinicians must be offered the option to examine and treat patients face-to-face.

Indexed as

COVID-19TelemedicineHumansPandemicsPatient SafetyPatient SatisfactionPatient safetyPatient satisfactionStaff satisfactionVirtual visits

Identifiers

PMID37173703
PMCPMC10181879

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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.