(0836) Telemedicine in Laryngology: Provider Perspectives on Virtual Follow-Up

Introduction: The expansion of telehealth in laryngology, catalyzed by COVID-19, has not been extensively reported in the literature. This study assesses providers' impressions on incorporating telemedicine within their practice to understand better the attitudes of laryngologists and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) toward the efficacy of virtual consultations.

Methods: Survey data from one laryngologist and one SLP were collected post-telehealth encounters during and after post-COVID-19, in 2020-2021 and 2023, respectively. The survey assessed providers' perceptions of communication efficacy, decision-making during appointments, and comfort in treatment prescription. Chi-squared tests analyzed associations between provider types and survey responses.

Results: Analysis of 46 patient encounters demonstrated robust endorsement of telemedicine, with 43 (93.5%) of the virtual visits considered appropriate and all instances (100%) facilitating effective communication of provider concerns. The survey, encompassing 32 responses from 2020-2021 and 14 from 2023, revealed distinct trends: SLPs had a greater preference for scheduling virtual follow-up appointments, significant in both the overall data and in 2023 (p < 0.01). There was a high level of comfort in prescribing treatment based on telehealth evaluations, with 42 encounters (91.3%) indicating a high level of provider confidence. The preference for in-person visits was notably higher for the laryngologist, with 7 out of 17 responses (41%) favoring such visits, against only 1 out of 21 (5%) from the SLP (p < 0.01). In 2023, however, this difference in preference was insignificant (p = 0.14), suggesting an increased level of comfort with telehealth over time.

Conclusions: Telemedicine was broadly deemed effective. However, the laryngologist provider preferred in-person visits more frequently than the SLP provider. The study reflects a positive shift in provider comfort with telehealth, suggesting its suitability for laryngology follow-ups while emphasizing the need to tailor the approach to individual patient requirements.