Evaluating factors of greater patient satisfaction with outpatient cardiology telehealth visits during the COVID-19 pandemic

David Cho; Suzan Khalil; Megan Kamath; Holly Wilhalme; Angelica Lewis; Melissa Moore; Ali Nsair

doi:10.1016/j.cvdhj.2021.10.005

Evaluating factors of greater patient satisfaction with outpatient cardiology telehealth visits during the COVID-19 pandemic

Cardiovasc Digit Health J. 2021 Dec;2(6):312-322. doi: 10.1016/j.cvdhj.2021.10.005. Epub 2021 Oct 29.

Authors

David Cho¹, Suzan Khalil¹, Megan Kamath¹, Holly Wilhalme², Angelica Lewis¹, Melissa Moore¹, Ali Nsair¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California.
² Department of Medicine, Statistics Core, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California.

Abstract

Background: The impact of telehealth on cardiovascular care during the COVID-19 pandemic on patient satisfaction and factors associated with satisfaction are not well characterized.

Methods: We conducted a nonrandomized, prospective cross-sectional survey study for outpatient telehealth cardiovascular visits over a 169-day period utilizing a validated telehealth usability questionnaire. For each variable, patients were divided into 2 groups-1 with scores above the median, labeled "greater satisfaction," and the other with scores below the median, labeled "less satisfaction."

Results: A total of 13,913 outpatient telehealth encounters were successfully completed during the study period. A total of 7327 unique patients were identified and received a survey invitation; 5993 (81.8%) patients opened the invitation, and 1034 (14.1%) patients consented and completed the survey. Overall mean and median scores were 3.15 (standard deviation 0.74) and 3.37 (interquartile range 2.73-3.68) (maximum score 4.00). Greater satisfaction was noted among younger patients (mean age 63.3 ± 14.0 years, P = .005), female gender (46.3%, P = .007), non-White ethnicity (24.2% P = .006), self-identified early adopters and innovators of new technology (49.8%, P < .001), 1-way travel time greater than 1 hour (22.3%, P < .001), 1-way travel distance greater than 10 miles (49.0%, P < .001), patients needing child care arrangement (16.4%, P < .001), and history of orthotopic heart transplant (OHT) (5.1%, P = .04).

Conclusion: Patients reported overall satisfaction with telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Factors associated with patient convenience, along with female gender, younger age, and non-White ethnicity, correlated with greater satisfaction. Cardiovascular comorbidities did not correlate with greater satisfaction except for OHT. Further research into the impact of telehealth on patient satisfaction, safety, and clinical outcomes is needed.

Keywords: COVID-19; Cardiology; Cardiovascular disease; Patient satisfaction; Telehealth; Telemedicine.

Grants and funding

UL1 TR001881/TR/NCATS NIH HHS/United States