Patient Perspectives in the Era of Remote Medical Visits During the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic　― Insights From Outpatient Care of Cardiovascular Disease ―

Background: Patient perspectives in cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are significantly associated with clinical outcomes. Methods and Results: Among 100 patients who responded to a telephone survey in a university hospital setting in Tokyo during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, 20% reported depressive symptoms and 33% were hesitant to contact medical staff in the event of CVD exacerbation. Interestingly, the frequency of depressive symptoms was maintained even after a decline in the number of newly COVID-19-infected patients. Conclusions: Our telemedicine practices revealed the magnitude of our patients’ mental health conditions and their hesitation to contact medical facilities in the event of CVD exacerbation.