P200 A virtual age? Evaluating the patient and healthcare worker perspective on virtual clinic delivery for patients with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and non CF bronchiectasis (nCFB) at a specialist cardio-thoracic hospital

Abstract

COVID-19 posed a challenge for delivery of outpatient appointments. Implementation of virtual clinics has changed how clinicians work. Gilbert et. al reported that the use of virtual clinics at the Royal Orthopaedic hospital resulted in high patient satisfaction1. There are obvious advantages to virtual clinic such as reduced risk of transmission of infection, no travel to and from the hospital and also CF patients have home monitoring so data can be gathered remotely. Would patients with CF and nCFB at our specialist hospital be satisfied with virtual clinics?We sent patients with appointments between 1st July and 1st October 2021 a questionnaire. We also invited staff members to complete a survey. 55 nCFB and 54 CF patients responded.ResultsTechnical difficulties were reported by between 7% and 15% patients and occasionally by staff members. Patients felt virtual clinic was more accessible than face-to-face in 87.2% (nCFB) and 90% (CF). For 49% of the nCFB patients, they had either an investigation or face-to-face appointment booked after the virtual appointment, and this was 37% in the CF cohort. Consultants said that virtual clinics for new nCFB patients were often useful;for follow up appointments this was 75% ‘often useful’ and 25% ‘sometimes useful’. Staff responded that they would wish face to face clinics to continue.ConclusionFrom this survey patients have indicated that virtual clinics are accessible and reduce long travel times to come to appointments;staff responded that they find them useful particularly for long term patient follow up, less so for new patient reviews, but they wish them to continue.ReferenceGilbert AW, Billany JCT, Adam R, et al. Rapid implementation of virtual clinics due to COVID-19: report and early evaluation of a quality improvement initiative, BMJ Open Quality 2020;9:e000985. doi:10.1136/bmjoq-2020-000985