Endoscopy-related Phone Consultation During the COVID-19 Outbreak

Austin Health

Status: Completed

Conditions: Varices, Esophageal; Reflux, Gastroesophageal; Colon Disease; Colon Polyp

Treatments: Other: None - NA

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04344964

38839

Details and patient eligibility

About

The aim of this study is to evaluate patient and consultant experiences with phone consultations for endoscopy-related outpatient appointments during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Full description

Telephone consultations as a method for telehealth do not provide visual cues and limit interpretation of visual signs such as visualization of skin lesions. However, the need of such feedback is almost non-existent for endoscopy-related consultations as their purpose is focused. The main foci of endoscopy-related outpatient clinics are two: 1 - inform and consent the patient for an endoscopic procedure that is to be done in the near future; 2 - explain the results of a recent procedure already performed and which has a copy provided to the patient. Therefore, phone consultations might be a good fit for endoscopy-related outpatient clinics. The practicalities and indications for the use of phone consults has been described by van Galen & Car (2018) and fit the above description.

Patients will be invited to participate only after the consultation have been finalised and all questions regarding the endoscopic procedure to be done/that was done have been clarified. Patients and consultants will fill questionnaires to evaluate the phone consultation.

The primary outcome will the the comparison of "failed to attend" (FTA) occurrences compared to a similar period of the past year. Secondary outcomes will be patients' and consultants' satisfaction with the phone consultation.

Enrollment: 186 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Patients booked for an outpatient consultation in the Post-Endoscopy clinic or Advanced Endoscopy clinic
• Consultation determined to be held over the phone as per preventive measures due to the COVID-19 outbreak
• Age > 18 years
• Ability to give informed consent

Exclusion criteria

• Phone consultation done with a relative as per patient's preference or inability to talk over the phone
• Patient that is deemed as confused/not able to understand
• Unwilling/unable to participate in the post-consultation survey

Trial design

186 participants in 2 patient groups

Phone consult group

Description:

Information collected prospectively on FTA patients and questionnaire (satisfaction)

Treatment:

Other: None - NA

Face-to-face consult group

Description:

Information collected retrospectively on FTA patients

Treatment:

Other: None - NA