The traditional model of post-operative care often necessitates multiple in-person clinic visits, which can be inconvenient, costly, and time-consuming for patients, particularly those residing in rural areas or with limited mobility. This burden can also lead to missed appointments, potentially jeopardizing recovery. Virtual care, leveraging widely available digital communication technologies, presents a transformative solution to provide timely and effective follow-up without the need for physical presence, thus improving patient access, satisfaction, and healthcare resource utilization in the context of general surgery.
The aim of the study.
This study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes (readmission rates, complications), patient satisfaction, and healthcare resource utilization between a virtual care-based post-operative management model and traditional in-person follow-up for patients undergoing common general surgical procedures.
Material and methods.
A prospective, randomized controlled trial was conducted across three surgical units, enrolling 400 adult patients immediately following common general surgical procedures (e.g., laparoscopic cholecystectomy, inguinal hernia repair, uncomplicated appendectomy). Patients were randomized 1:1 to either the virtual care group (n=200) or the standard care group (n=200). The virtual care group received scheduled video consultations with their surgical team, remote symptom monitoring through a patient portal, and asynchronous messaging for all post-operative follow-ups for 30 days. The standard care group received traditional in-person clinic appointments. Primary outcomes included 30-day unplanned hospital readmission rates, post-operative complication rates (Clavien-Dindo classification), and patient satisfaction (using a validated 10-point Likert scale). Secondary outcomes included patient travel time and cost. Statistical analysis involved chi-square tests for categorical outcomes and independent t-tests for continuous outcomes, with significance set at p < 0.05.
There were no statistically significant differences in 30-day unplanned hospital readmission rates between the virtual care group (4.5%) and the standard care group (5.0%) (p = 0.81). Similarly, the overall post-operative complication rate was comparable (virtual care: 8.0%; standard care: 8.5%; p = 0.86). However, patient satisfaction scores were significantly higher in the virtual care group (mean score 9.2 ± 0.8 versus 7.8 ± 1.1 in standard care; p < 0.001). Patients in the virtual care group reported an average reduction of 2 hours in travel time and $45 in travel-related expenses per follow-up visit. The incidence of missed appointments was significantly lower in the virtual care group (2% vs. 15%, p < 0.001).
Virtual care platforms offer a safe, effective, and highly desirable alternative for post-operative management in general surgery, without compromising clinical outcomes such as readmission or complication rates. The significant improvement in patient satisfaction and convenience, coupled with reduced healthcare burden, strongly advocates for the broader implementation of virtual care models in surgical follow-up. Future research should explore the applicability across more complex surgical patient populations and evaluate long-term patient engagement and outcomes.
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