Aims and Scope

The Open Cardiovascular Medicine Journal is an Open Access journal which publishes research articles, reviews/mini-reviews, case studies, short communications/letters and guest edited thematic issues on the understanding of scientific advances in the field of cardiovascular medicine, written and reviewed by globally recognized experts. Manuscripts on range of topics including cardiac and circulatory system disorders, heart failure, cardiac surgery and pharmacological treatment, arrhythmias, pacing and cellular electrophysiology, atrial fibrillation, vascular and lymphatic research and other related fields are considered for publication.


The Open Cardiovascular Medicine Journal, a peer-reviewed journal, is an important and reliable source of current information on developments in the field. Emphasis is placed on publishing quality papers, making them freely available to researchers worldwide.


Editor's Choice

Feasibility of Telephone-Based Cardiology Consultation: Comparison of Resource Use and Outcomes vs In-Person Consultation

Martin E. Matsumura, Kelly Austin, Yasser Khalil, James C. Blankenship, Bryan Martin

Introduction:

The COVID-19 (Coronavirus infectious disease 2019) pandemic has highlighted the need for alternative modalities to connect with outpatients beyond in-person clinic visits. In the present study, we evaluated the feasibility of a telephone-based teleconsultation cardiology service and compared the use of testing and outcomes between teleconsultation and traditional in-office consultations

Methods:

The study took place prior to the COVID-19 pandemic July 2019 to March 2020. Consult lists were reviewed by a cardiologist for patients appropriate for teleconsultation. Those patients were contacted directly and, if agreeable, a consultation was completed and any required testing was arranged. A series of patients seen in the clinic, matched for a reason for consultation and consulting a cardiologist, were compared in terms of testing frequency and outcomes.

Results:

Of 157 patients who felt appropriate for teleconsultation, 100 (63.7%) were successfully contacted and a teleconsultation was completed. Comparing patients undergoing teleconsultation with a matched series of patients seen in person in the clinic, there were no significant differences in testing utilization or outcomes, including emergency room or hospital admission within 30 days of consultation or death or adverse cardiac events at six months following consultation.

Conclusion:

Telemedicine can be successfully utilized as an alternative to traditional clinic consultation for selected patients needing cardiology consultation. This consultative modality does not appear to lead to utilization of increased testing or decreased quality or patient outcomes. Larger studies are needed to assess this mode of consultation.


August 24, 2021
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