Outpatient Visits Versus Telehealth for Postoperative Care After Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery

Outpatient Visits Versus Telehealth for Postoperative Care After Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Telehealth, or telemedicine, utilizes technology to deliver clinical care remotely, either in real time or asynchronously, between clinician and patient. Telemedicine has been successfully implemented to increase healthcare delivery for patients in rural areas with otherwise long travel times, and studies have also determined that telemedicine can increase patient satisfaction scores while simultaneously decreasing direct and indirect costs for patients.

Previous scholarship has demonstrated that telemedicine can be a safe alternative to face-to-face postoperative visits for surgical patients, streamlining recovery with no significant delays in the diagnosis of surgical complications. As healthcare systems continue to emphasize value-based care, it is important to assess whether virtual postoperative visits effectively meet patient needs while optimizing resource utilization.

Patient-reported outcomes and satisfaction surveys can help identify potential gaps in care and ensure that telehealth is implemented in a way to maximize both efficiency and quality. Our primary objective is to determine whether patient satisfaction with postoperative telehealth follow-up is non-inferior to in-person clinic visits.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Participant has provided written informed consent.
2. Women over the age of 18.
3. Ability for patients to complete telehealth visits (i.e. working telephone or internet access) and speak and understand English.
4. Laparoscopic or robotic surgeries including: excision of endometriosis, adnexal surgery with oophorectomy or cystectomy, myomectomy, and hysterectomy.
5. Undergoing minimally invasive gynecologic surgeries with complex pelvic surgeons (AAGL fellowship-trained).

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Conversion to open surgery.
2. Malignancy noted intraoperatively or on final pathology evaluation.
3. Surgeon or patient preference for in person clinic follow up.
4. Pregnancy - pregnancy tests will be completed as part of routine preoperative care on the day of surgery