Table 1

A Summary of original research on telemedicine use in pediatric surgery prior to COVID-19

TitleAuthorsStudy typePatient populationSummary
Postoperative follow-up: is a phone call enough?McVay et al11Retrospective cohortPediatric patients undergoing select operative procedures
n=563
76% of patients were contacted by phone, with 27 patients requiring in-person clinic visits, and a reported 90% satisfaction rate.
Complex surgical infants benefit from postdischarge telemedicine visitsWillard et al12Prospective cohortComplex surgical patients following discharge from the NICU
n=93
78 postdischarge issues were identified, 50% reported that an additional in-person visit was prevented, resulting in an accumulative 1755 of saved mileage.
Utilization of a handheld telemedicine device in postoperative pediatric surgical careDeAntonio et al13Prospective cohortPediatric patients following discharge after undergoing a variety of surgical procedures
n=24
There were no reported changes in care for telemedicine appointments compared with in-person visits. 92% of caregivers reported being comfortable with a telemedicine-only evaluation.
  • NICU, neonatal intensive care unit.