The Role of Telemedicine in Orthopedic Surgery: Enhancing Patient Care and Access Through Remote Consultations and Virtual Follow-Ups
1Dr kishore kumar khatri, 2Dr Muhammad Azeem Akhund, 3Ali Raza, 4Mobeen Ali, 5Mohib Ali, 6Hadi Raza
1Associate Professor Department of Orthopeadics Surgery and Traumatology PUMHS Nawabshah
2Assistant professor Department of orthopaedic surgery and traumatology PUMHS nawabshah
3UHS Lahore
4PIMS
5PIMS
6PIMS
Correspondence: Dr kishore kumar khatri, Associate Professor, Department of Orthopeadics Surgery and Traumatology PUMHS W Nawabshah
submission: 01 January 2025, Acceptance: 06 March 2025, Publication: 30 May 2025
Vol 15/02
Abstract
Background: Telemedicine is one of the ways that has developed its healthcare delivery especially in the orthopaedic surgery through consultations and follow-ups through technology. Features such as technological enhancement are forcing the increase in adoption of telemedicine as a way of enhancing the plight of patients and accessing more services mostly in the rural and neglected areas.
Aim: The purpose of this research is twofold: this research seeks to investigate the use of telemedicine in orthopaedic surgery and estimate the effectiveness of remote patient consultation and virtual follow-up in contributing to the improvement of patient care and access to care.
Methods: This paper adopts both a literature review and an observational study based on TELEMEDCARE hospitals and clinics that have integrated telemedicine in the orthopaedic practice. Questionnaires were used together with patients’ medical records and analysis of the telemedicine platform. The measures of assessment consisted of access to the patients, efficiency and quality of the care, cost and factors of telemedicine implementation. Quantitative data was analysed by use of frequency tables and thematic analysis was done on the qualitative data.
Results: The results show that the subjects have increased the accessibility of orthopaedic care services by 85% if they are delivered through telemedicine. Remote customer appointments improve patients’ outcomes and satisfaction, with a 15% improvement on recovery compared to conventional treatment. Also, telemedicine has a benefit of reducing the patient’s cost and time, and a reduction of fifty percent on the hospital visit. However, there are still issues like technology and data gap, data privacy and existence of guidelines for telemedicine.
Conclusion: Telemedicine also increases access to orthopaedic patients as well as increases recovery while at the same time saving costs expenses. However, the providers and the policymakers should pay attention to the digital strength, security and standardization of telemedicine services to gain maximum benefits from them. Subsequent studies are necessary to evaluate telemedicine interventions’ efficacy within the context of orthopaedic surgery at long-term follow-up.
Keywords: Telemedicine, Orthopaedic Surgery, Remote Consultations, Virtual Follow-Ups, Patient Care, Healthcare Accessibility, Cost Efficiency.
