For a study, researchers sought to find that the COVID-19 outbreak is changing how telehealth services are used on an ongoing basis. Unfortunately, there weren’t many statistics on patient preferences for these surgical dermatologic procedures. To evaluate patient choices for telemedicine pre-and postoperative care in dermatologic surgery, a survey was completed by clients of a dermatology clinic connected to an academic institution. A total of 234 patients made up the participants. In-person preoperative consultations and postoperative visits were favored by 62.1% and 67.7% of respondents, respectively. The most often cited justification was a patient’s desire for physical contact with their surgeon. For every decade of age, the preference for in-person consultation and follow-up grew 1.26 times and 1.12 times, respectively. During their visit to the doctor’s office, 87% of patients reported feeling safe, and 41% indicated they had no fear of contracting COVID-19. The proportion of patients who preferred in-person pre- or postsurgical visits was the same regardless of sex, the presence of an immune-compromising condition, previous dermatologic surgery, level of worry for contracting COVID-19, or perceived level of office safety.
Source – journals.lww.com
