Impact on general surgery clinic after telehealth conversion at a Veteran Affairs medical center (15 December 2023)

Summary

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a significant increase in telehealth use for patient evaluations. The US Veteran Health Administration (VHA) has tripled phone and video visits across several specialties. Although there are hesitations in phone-call-based communication for procedural subspecialties, phone calls to veterans have proven safe and efficacious after general surgery procedures. Telehealth has additional benefits, including reducing transportation barriers, improving access to care and reducing delays in medical care. This article in the journal Surgery aimed to evaluate clinic access after the establishment of routine telehealth use through phone calls by the surgeon.