Abstract
Virtual clinics have been proposed as a method of reducing costs and improving services
in the National Health Service (NHS). The aim of this research was to assess the attitudes
of clinicians and patients towards virtual consultations in a department of oral and
maxillofacial surgery (OMFS). Patients and clinicians at conventional OMFS adult outpatient
clinics were prospectively interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Variables
recorded included type of consultation, overall attitude, time travelled, and mode
of transport. Patients’ notes were assessed retrospectively to check if examinations
had been done. A total of 146 patients (100%) completed the surveys, and 108 of them
(74%) were amenable to having virtual consultations in the future. Such appointments
may have been suitable for 19 patients who did not have examinations. Chi squared
analysis showed no relation between type of appointment and preference for a virtual
consultation (p=0.087). To introduce a virtual consultation system in our department and to assess
its efficacy once implemented, further development and research are required.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: March 18, 2020
Accepted:
March 6,
2020
Identification
Copyright
Crown Copyright © 2020 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. All rights reserved.
