464 - An audit into the suitability of using video conferencing as an alternative to face-to-face appointments.

Y Zhao N Moran
Presented by: Yuze Zhao
Prince Charles Hospital

Background: Healthcare traditionally has always been offered face to face, with illnesses being treated and managed in person. However, the ongoing COVID – 19 pandemic has caused constant cancellations and rescheduling of face to face consultations. This has resulted in the delay of thousands upon thousands of appointments with no definite completion date, further increasing the backlog of patients waiting in an already overwhelmed system. One of the solutions has been the rapid scaling up of the use of telemedicine. Aims and Objectives: To assess the suitability of using video conferencing as an alternative to face-to-face consultations within the OMFS department. To address the NHS waiting times through the optimisation of the OMFS department’s resources by converting face to face appointments to Attend Anywhere video consultation appointments, where the necessary requirements are fulfilled. Methods: Standardised forms were given to consultants working at two NHS hospitals within Wales. The forms gathered information such as what the condition is, whether the audio and video quality were satisfactory, any other issues experienced and the overall suitability of the case for Attend Anywhere. In total, out of the 56 Attend Anywhere consultation invites sent out, 45 Attend Anywhere consultations were successfully completed. Results: 86% of the successfully completed Attend Anywhere video consultations were considered as being suitable for examining the patient in this way. Conclusion: Most cases examined using Attend Anywhere video calls were suitable for their intended purposes. Many telephone consultations can be converted into Attend Anywhere video calls, due to the additional benefit of visualising the lesion. In the correct circumstances, Attend Anywhere clinics can replace face to face appointments, it cannot supersede the intrinsic value of a face-to-face appointment. Therefore, Attend Anywhere should be used as a supplement for face-to-face appointment.
Consent Statement: There are no details on individual patients reported within the abstract.

Poster