Telepulmonology in the Netherlands: effect on quality and efficiency of care.
In telepulmonology a general practitioner (GP) digitally consults a local pulmonologist. This study assessed the effect of telepulmonology on quality and efficiency of care. Efficiency of care was measured as the percentage of prevented physical referrals. Quality of care was measured using 5 indicators. Thirty-one percent of the TelePulmonology Consultations (TPCs) were sent to prevent a physical referral, the other TPCs were sent to ask for advice of the pulmonologist. Sixty-eight percent of the TPCs sent to prevent a physical referral indeed prevented a physical referral. Eighteen percent of the TPCs sent for advice resulted in a physical referral on advice of the pulmonologist. These patients would not have been referred without telepulmonology.
Center for Human Factors Engineering of Health Information Technology Department of Medical Informatics, Academic Medical Center-University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Leonie
L
Thijssing
Job P
JP
van der Heijden
Niels H
NH
Chavannes
Christian F
CF
Melissant
Monique W M
MW
Jaspers
Leonard
L
Witkamp
D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D058005:General Practitioners / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D009426:Netherlands; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D015272:Pulmonary Medicine / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D019114:Remote Consultation / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*