Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38802921›Full record

ArticleBMC medical informatics and decision making2024

Usage and limitations of medical consultation with patients' families using online video calls: a prospective cohort study.

Tetsuro Hayashi, Seiji Bito

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medical informatics and decision making, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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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.

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

2 authors.

Tetsuro HayashiDivision of Clinical Epidemiology, NHO Tokyo Medical Center, 2-5-1 Higashigaoka, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152-8902, Japan. tetsuro1026@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0722-9986
Seiji BitoDivision of Clinical Epidemiology, NHO Tokyo Medical Center, 2-5-1 Higashigaoka, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152-8902, Japan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFew studies have been conducted on the usage of telehealth focusing on consultations between patients' families and physicians. This study aimed to identify the usage and limitations of online medical consultations with patients' families compared to the traditional in-person consultations.

methodsWe conducted a prospective cohort study from April 1, 2020, to September 30, 2021, at an educational acute-care hospital in Japan. The study included hospitalized patients aged 20 years or older and their family members for whom an online or in-person medical consultation between the family member and physician was conducted during the hospitalization period. The primary endpoints assessed were three topics pertaining to medical consultation: medical conditions and treatment plans, policies for life-threatening events, and post-discharge support. The secondary endpoint was the number of consultations required.

resultsOnline consultations and traditional in-person consultations were provided to 58 and 53 patients' families, respectively. Of the patients in the online consultation group who underwent multiple consultations, 46 (79%) also underwent in-person consultations. Regarding the topics, all the patients' families in both consultation groups had consultations on medical conditions and treatment plans; regarding the policy for life-threatening events, 47% of patient families in the online consultation group were consulted compared to 53% of those in the in-person group. Regarding post-discharge support, 59% of patient families in the online group were consulted compared to 40% in the in-person group. In the online consultation group of 58 patients' families, 188 consultations were conducted, including 95 online and 93 in-person consultations. Consultations on policy for life-threatening events were significantly more frequent in in-person consultations than in online consultations (p < 0.05). Regarding post-discharge support, online consultations were significantly more frequent than in-person consultations (p < 0.05). The number of family members who attended online consultations was significantly higher than those who attended in-person consultations (p < 0.05).

conclusionsOnline consultation between the physician and patient's family may be an alternative to in-person consultation for explaining medical conditions and treatment plans. However, in-person consultation still plays an important role in sensitive topics, such as policy consultation for life-threatening events.

Indexed as

FamilyAdultAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansJapanMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesReferral and ConsultationRemote ConsultationTelemedicineVideoconferencingFamily communicationTelecommunicationsTelehealthTelemedicine

Identifiers

PMID38802921
PMCPMC11129502

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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.