Patients presenting with neck and back pain during the pandemic were studied. Study results show that telehealth is effective in treating and selecting patients for procedures.
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — A new study just published in the journal Interventional Pain Medicine has found that telehealth is feasible, effective and accurate in the management of patients suffering from spinal pain. The study was conducted by Dr. George Rappard and his team at the Los Angeles Minimally Invasive Spine Institute.
The study is titled “Feasibility and effectiveness of telehealth in the management of cervicothoracic and lumbar pain during the first six months of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: A case series.” The study subjects were 101 consecutive new patients presenting with spinal pain during the start of the pandemic. Dr. Rappard’s team utilized telehealth to perform all aspects of treatment, from initial consultation to spinal procedures and surgery.
Patients in the study used a smart phone and an internet connection to attend a virtual consultation. For the virtual consultation, a history and interview were conducted as usual. For the physical examination, Dr. Rappard developed a unique protocol that could be performed with a smart phone.
Dr. Rappard’s team found that a telehealth visit was easy to implement. Of the original 101 patients, 98% were initially seen through telehealth. Follow up was conducted via telehealth in 69% of cases. Telehealth was utilized less commonly for follow up because 42% of patients underwent spinal procedures, which required an in-person comprehensive examination.
Telehealth was utilized to prescribe and monitor non-invasive care, such as medications, exercise and therapy. By comparing study patients to patients studied in the pre-pandemic period, Rappard and his team found that patients managed with telehealth were as likely to improve as those managed via traditional in-person care.
Telehealth was also utilized to manage patients undergoing spinal procedures. 42 study patients underwent 59 procedures (not including surgery) of the upper, mid and lower spine. All procedures were completed as planned with telehealth.
In addition, 9 patients underwent surgery to resolve their spinal condition. All 9 patients underwent a form of minimally invasive spinal surgery called NeuroEndospine Surgery. This surgery is performed by inserting a small camera through a band-aid incision. Telehealth was successful 100% of the time in determining the need for surgery and what surgery should be performed. All 9 surgeries performed in the study were successful.
Dr. Rappard and his study team also looked at overall and individual patient outcomes, comparing them to results seen in patients managed via in-person care. The authors found that the study patients compared favorably with patients managed traditionally, without telehealth.
The study conducted by the Los Angeles Minimally Invasive Spine Institute and published in the September 2023 issue of Interventional Pain Medicine is one of the first to focus on spinal pain patients treated through telehealth. The study authors found that telehealth can be readily deployed and is an effective way to manage spinal pain patients. Patients in the study had similar outcomes to that reported for in-person doctor visits. Telehealth was accurate in determining the need for spinal procedures and surgery.
Media Contact
George Rappard, LA Minimally Invasive Spine Institute, 1 3238575300, [email protected], https://lamisinstitute.com/
SOURCE LA Minimally Invasive Spine Institute
