Telehealth for Upper Extremity Conditions: Perceptions of the Patient and Provider

The recent coronavirus pandemic has prompted providers to adopt telehealth as a way to maintain contact with their patients on an unprecedented scale. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the perception of care for both patients and physicians using telehealth visits for the management of upper extremity orthopaedic conditions. This study consisted of the analysis of surveys sent to both physicians and patients immediately after the completion of a telehealth visit for an upper extremity condition. Eighty percent of patients responded as “very satisfied” with their encounter. Satisfaction scores were similar for patients seen for a new issue or an existing issue. The use of a video platform was preferable to patients compared with a telephone call. Physicians would have requested a radiograph or offered a steroid injection during a new patient evaluation in 77% of cases. Physicians were less satisfied with the use of telemedicine, particularly when evaluating a new patient. A large majority of patients and physicians alike felt telehealth visits have a role in patient management, acknowledging they would both choose to incorporate “some” of their visits as telehealth evaluations for any particular issue.