Imagine you are gearing up for a planned surgery. Along with anxious anticipation of the procedure, you may also have to endure a few trips to the doctor's office in preparation for it and spend time in the waiting room. Now consider if you could skip those inconveniences and take care of the pre-operative prep in the comfort of your own home.

That's exactly what Dutch researchers aimed to explore in a recent study that compared pre-op visits via video with in-person office trips. Their results might change how we prep for surgery in the future.

Doctors are increasingly interested in finding out whether telehealth can be as safe and effective as tracking traditional face-to-face preoperative visits. Could digital assessment relieve pressure on hospital resources, save time and money, and still deliver excellent patient outcomes?

You may find a virtual visit offers more convenient scheduling, a lower risk of exposure to cold or flu bugs, and a potential cost savings.

From March to August 2021 researchers screened 480 Dutch-speaking adults who had internet access and were set to undergo significant abdominal surgery. Of these, 400 were randomly assigned to one of two groups: The Digital group completed an on-line questionnaire and received personalized written and video guidance as part of the VIDEOGO program. The Face-to-face group attended two 20-minute in-hospital consultations with medical staff.

By the time of the analysis, 117 patients in the digital group and 124 in the traditional group had completed the study and proceeded to have surgery.

The Amsterdam University Medical Center researchers tracked whether a video consultation worked just as well as a physical conversation when preparing for major abdominal surgery. “Do patients receive the same amount of information? Do they feel just as well helped? Does it work for all ages and digital skills? And how do surgeons experience it?” Britte ten Haaft, a PhD candidate at Amsterdam UMC, summarized in a press release.

To confirm whether the experience of a video meeting was positive or negative, the research team administered a questionnaire where higher numbers indicated better recovery. They set a “non-inferiority” margin of 0-6 points. Essentially, this meant that if online consults were no more than six points lower, they would be considered just as good as in-person visits.

They found that the recovery scores of the two groups were nearly equal. The digital group averaged 158 points compared to 155 in the face-to-face group. The difference of 3.2 points comfortably landed within the non-inferiority margin. Online surgery prep was also deemed safe. No adverse events were linked to the video consultation method. All in all, an online consult before surgery was “non-inferior.”

Online assessment could relieve pressure on hospital resources, save time and money, and still deliver excellent patient outcomes.

If you're scheduled for low-to-moderate risk abdominal surgery and opt for an online pre-operative consult, this study suggests you can expect the same quality of post-operative recovery and possibly a smoother experience. You may find a virtual visit offers more convenient scheduling, a lower risk of exposure to cold or flu bugs, and a potential cost savings since fewer in-person appointments can mean lower overhead for clinics and insurers.

There are some caveats to keep in mind, however. For one, the study involved relatively routine abdominal surgeries, and its findings may not apply to more complex cases. Internet access and digital literacy are also necessary for videoconferencing, and not everyone fits this bill. Finally, the study shows only that online consultation is as good as, not necessarily better than, visiting with your healthcare provider.

If you decide to go the video route, here are five tips to get the most out of your online pre-op consult:

    1. Test your tech ahead of time. Make sure your camera, microphone, and internet connection are working well.

    2. Choose a quiet, well-lit spot. Good lighting helps your doctor pick up visual cues.

    3. Have your notes ready. Keep your medications, questions and vital information within reach.

    4. Ask about next steps. Confirm instructions on fasting, handing in forms, or where to go on surgery day.

    5. Record or write down details. Record the call on your phone or take notes to make sure you haven't missed any instructions.

“It is important for healthcare providers to know that they can safely offer patients a video consultation, with all the benefits that come with it,” said researcher Marlies Schijven, MD PhD, a member of the Department of Surgery, at Amsterdam University Medical Center and a Professor of Digital Health.

The study is published in The Lancet Digital Health.