A systematic review and meta-analysis examining the impact of telemedicine in perioperative care found that digital health interventions are associated with a lower risk of readmissions and emergency department (ED) visits in patients who have undergone abdominal surgery. Across 19 studies with 10,536 patients, the risk ratio for ED visits (0.78; 95% CI, 0.65-0.94) and readmissions (0.67; 95% CI, 0.58-0.78) was lower in the telemedicine group compared to conventional care. However, no significant difference in complications was observed between the groups. These findings highlight the potential benefits of telehealth in improving patient safety outcomes post-abdominal surgery.
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov’t by Grygorian A, Montano D (…) Schmitz N et 2 al. in JAMA Netw Open