Journal of the American College of Surgeons
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Many patients seek greater accessibility to health care. Meanwhile, surgeons face increasing time constraints due to workforce shortages and elevated performance demands. Online postoperative care may improve patient access while increasing surgeon efficiency. We aimed to evaluate patient and surgeon acceptance of online postoperative care after elective general surgical operations. ⋯ In this population, online postoperative visits were accepted by patients and surgeons, took less time, and effectively identified patients who required further care. Further evaluation is needed to establish the safety and potential benefit of online postoperative visits in specific populations.
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Patient-reported outcomes (PRO) have been increasingly emphasized, however, determining clinically valuable PRO has been problematic and investigation limited. This study examines the association of readiness for discharge, which has been described previously, with patient satisfaction and readmission. ⋯ Readiness for discharge appears to be a clinically useful patient-reported metric, as those RFD have higher satisfaction with the hospital and physicians. Prospective investigation into variables affecting patient satisfaction in those LRFD is needed.