Disclosures: Jason T. Hamamoto, MD: Teladoc Health (Products/Services: No) (Stockholder/Ownership Interest (excluding diversified mutual funds))

Objective: To assess the telehealth patient experience in an outpatient spine and sports clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic and identify areas for improvement.

Design: Patient satisfaction surveys were implemented to assess the quality of telehealth visits using audiovisual media within the division of Musculoskeletal Spine and Sports Rehabilitation Medicine of an academic Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation department. Patients were contacted by telephone and survey responses were collected using an electronic database.Setting : Outpatient Spine and Sports ClinicParticipants : Patients evaluated by telehealth clinic visits

Interventions: None

Main Outcome Measures: Outcome measures included visit type, duration of visit, previous telehealth experience, comparison to in-person visit, technical problems encountered, convenience, quality, and satisfaction.

Results: Surveys were completed by 73 patients (21 males, 52 females) that attended 281 total telehealth visits (initial – 28, follow up – 253) between March 2020 to January 2021 performed by one attending physiatrist. The most common appointment duration was 15-29 minutes (219 visits). 40% of patients had previous experience with telehealth clinic visits. 96% of patients stated they were “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with their telehealth visit. 64% of patients strongly agreed or agreed that telehealth was as good as an in-person clinic visit. 96% strongly agreed or agreed that telehealth made it more convenient for them to see the physician and 100% strongly agreed or agreed that they would use telehealth services again in the future. The most common technical problems encountered during telehealth visits were poor internet connection, sound quality, and image quality.Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption and implementation of telehealth services in order to continue providing high quality patient care. Patients reported overall satisfaction with the quality of their telehealth experience suggesting that this is a reasonable alternative to in-person visits.

Level of Evidence: Level IV

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PM&R Meeting Abstracts - https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/telehealth-experience-and-quality-assurance-during-the-covid-19-pandemic-for-musculoskeletal-spine-and-sports-rehabilitation-medicine/