The Impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic on Outpatient Services—An Analysis of Patient Feedback of Virtual Outpatient Clinics in a Tertiary Teaching Center With a Focus on Musculoskeletal and Rheumatology Services
Swetha Byravan, Kehinde Sunmboye
Abstract
The pandemic has resulted in many changes to health services, one of these is the shift from face-to-face consultations to virtual ones across all specialities. As the pandemic continues with no end in sight it seems that virtual consultations will continue for the foreseeable future. In this article, we analyze the patient feedback so far to virtual consultations in a large tertiary center and use this opportunity to reflect on this new service. We have a particular interest in musculoskeletal services as this is largely an outpatient-based speciality and the pandemic has consequently resulted in significant changes in practice. We also consider whether virtual clinics is a sustainable service post-COVID-19 and the benefits and disadvantages of this.