Teleophthalmology and COVID-19: the patient perspective

Abstract

Oculoplastic services at a UK district general hospital underwent reconfiguration to incorporate teleconsultations during the COVID-19 pandemic, and patient satisfaction was assessed. Methods All oculoplastic patients at Maidstone Hospital underwent telephone or video consultations in place of face-to-face reviews. Patient feedback surveys were conducted. Results 80 telephone and 40 video consultation responses were analysed. The majority of teleconsultations lasted 6-10 minutes. 55% of telephone and 82.5% of video consultation patients felt face-to-face reviews would not have changed the appointment outcome. Satisfaction scores of 10/10 were given by 71.3% of telephone and 72.5% of video consultation patients. Correlation between age and preference of consultation type was observed, with 62.5% of patients aged >65 years requesting regular face-to-face reviews compared to only 18.8% of 25-64-year-olds. Conclusion Patients highly support teleconsultation adaptations. This is an opportunity to incorporate and enhance teleconsultation facilities to meet current and future demand, especially with ongoing social distancing guidelines.