Telemedicine is an effective way to provide care for patients with overactive bladder (OAB), according to investigators presenting trial findings during the AUA2021 Virtual Experience.
“Telemedicine visits save both the provider and patient significant amounts of time without sacrificing patient satisfaction and follow-up rates,” Spencer Mossack, MD, of Stony Brook Medicine, and colleagues concluded in a poster presentation
A total of 46 new patients with OAB who visited a urology clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic period of July 2020 to February 2021 were randomly assigned to telemedicine or in-person visits for follow-up. The groups had similar baseline demographics, Urogenital Distress Inventory-6/Incontinence Impact Questionnaire-7 scores, and telemedicine experience.
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Rates of follow-up did not differ significantly between the telemedicine and in-person groups at 30 days (33% vs 27%) or 60 days (63% vs 50%), the investigators reported.. Patient surveys also showed similarly high satisfaction rates with both venues.
Average visit time was significantly lower with telemedicine compared with in-person encounters: 10.88 vs 21.84 minutes. In-person visits required an average of 48 minutes of travel over an average distance of 21 miles. Telemedicine use was associated with technical difficulties in 12% of appointments.
“Overactive bladder is a condition that may ideally suited for the use of telemedicine as initial treatment options are behavioral modification and pharmacotherapy,” Dr Mossack and colleagues wrote.
Reference
Mossack S, Inoyatov I, Du C, et al. A randomized controlled trial comparing telemedicine versus in-person office visits for the follow-up of overactive bladder. Presented at: AUA- 2021 Virtual Experience held September 10-13, 2021. Poster MP63-05.
