Virtual Follow up After Distal Radius Fracture Surgery — Patient Experiences During the COVID-19 PandemicShow others and affiliations
2023 (English)In: Journal of Patient Experience, ISSN 2374-3735, Vol. 10Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
The majority of patients with a distal radius fracture (DRF) are elderly, a group known to experience difficulties with new technology, partly due to a low level of digital literacy. At the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, during the spring 2020, patients that underwent DRF surgery had regular follow-ups replaced by video calls from their surgeon and physiotherapist. Afterward, patients answered questionnaires regarding health and digital literacy and took part in semistructured interviews regarding the experience of the virtual follow-up. By systemic text condensation, 2 major categories were identified: (1) The video call—new, but surprisingly simple: All but 1 found it easier than expected, and (2) Video calls—the patient's choice: All but 1 patient preferred video calls to physical visits for follow-up. This is the first mixed methods study to assess patients’ experiences of digital follow-up after DRF surgery. This study indicates that digital follow-up was highly appreciated, even among patients with low levels of digital literacy. Digital technologies must be made suitable even for patients with inadequate levels of digital literacy. © The Author(s) 2023.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2023. Vol. 10
Keywords [en]
access to care, COVID-19, health literacy, orthopedics, patient satisfaction, qualitative methods, surgery, telemedicine
National Category
Health Care Service and Management, Health Policy and Services and Health Economy
Research subject
Health Innovation; Health Innovation, IDC
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-51376DOI: 10.1177/23743735231188819ISI: 001036936400001Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85165952914OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hh-51376DiVA, id: diva2:1787547
Funder
Region Skåne
Note
Funding: Government Funding of Clinical Research within National Health Service (ALF), Regional Research Support (Region Skåne), and Maggie Stephens, Erik and Angelica Sparre, Greta and Johan Kock, and the Alfred Österlund foundations.
2023-08-142023-08-142025-03-20Bibliographically approved