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      Digital mobile technology facilitates HIPAA-sensitive perioperative messaging, improves physician-patient communication, and streamlines patient care

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          Abstract

          Background

          Mobile device technology has revolutionized interpersonal communication, but the application of this technology to the physician-patient relationship remains limited due to concerns over patient confidentiality and the security of digital information. Nevertheless, there is a continued focus on improving communication between doctors and patients in all fields of medicine as a means of improving patient care. In this study, we implement a novel communications platform to demonstrate that instantaneously sharing perioperative information with surgical patients and members of their support networks can improve patient care and strengthen the physician-patient relationship.

          Methods

          423 consecutive patients scheduled to undergo elective surgical procedures were offered complimentary registration to a secure, web-based service designed to distribute perioperative updates to a group of recipients designated by each patient via Short Message Service (SMS) and/or email. Messages were created by attending surgeons and delivered instantaneously through the web-based platform. In the postoperative period, patients and their designated message recipients, as well as participating healthcare providers, were asked to complete a survey designed to assess their experience with the messaging system. Survey results were statistically analyzed to determine satisfaction rates.

          Results

          Of the qualifying 423 patients, 313 opted to enroll in the study. On average, patients selected a total of 3.5 recipients to receive perioperative updates. A total of 1,195 electronic messages were generated for distribution to designated recipients during the study period and delivered to recipients located around the world. There were no documented errors or failures in message delivery. Satisfaction surveys were completed by 190 users of the service (73 %). Respondents identified themselves as either patients ( n = 48, 25.5 %), family/friends ( n = 120, 63.8 %), or healthcare providers ( n = 15, 12 %). Satisfaction with the service was high: 94.2 % of users “ enjoyed this software” and and 94.2 % of family/friends “ felt more connected to their loved ones during surgery.” 92.5 % would “ recommend their loved ones sign up for this service". Ninety percent of patients who completed the survey reported “ an improved hospital experience

          Conclusion

          Digital communications platforms can facilitate the immediate transfer of HIPAA-compliant data to patients and their designees. Such systems can greatly improve the level of communication between physicians, patients, and patients’ families and caregivers. All types of users, including healthcare professionals, patients, and their loved ones, recorded high levels of satisfaction. Based on these observations, we conclude that mobile digital communications platforms represent a way to harness the power of social media to enhance patient care.

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          Most cited references8

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          Systematic review of cost effectiveness studies of telemedicine interventions.

          To systematically review cost benefit studies of telemedicine. Systematic review of English language, peer reviewed journal articles. Searches of Medline, Embase, ISI citation indexes, and database of Telemedicine Information Exchange. STUDIES SELECTED: 55 of 612 identified articles that presented actual cost benefit data. Scientific quality of reports assessed by use of an established instrument for adjudicating on the quality of economic analyses. 557 articles without cost data categorised by topic. 55 articles with data initially categorised by cost variables employed in the study and conclusions. Only 24/55 (44%) studies met quality criteria justifying inclusion in a quality review. 20/24 (83%) restricted to simple cost comparisons. No study used cost utility analysis, the conventional means of establishing the "value for money" that a therapeutic intervention represents. Only 7/24 (29%) studies attempted to explore the level of utilisation that would be needed for telemedicine services to compare favourably with traditionally organised health care. None addressed this question in sufficient detail to adequately answer it. 15/24 (62.5%) of articles reviewed here provided no details of sensitivity analysis, a method all economic analyses should incorporate. There is no good evidence that telemedicine is a cost effective means of delivering health care.
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            Integrating social media into emergency-preparedness efforts.

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              Social media use and impact on plastic surgery practice.

              Social media platforms have revolutionized the way human beings communicate, yet there is little evidence describing how the plastic surgery community has adopted social media. In this article, the authors evaluate current trends in social media use by practicing plastic surgeons. An anonymous survey on the use of social media was distributed to members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Prevalent patterns of social media implementation were elucidated. One-half of respondents were regular social media users. Reasons for using social media included the beliefs that incorporation of social media into medical practice is inevitable (56.7 percent), that they are an effective marketing tool (52.1 percent), and that they provide a forum for patient education (49 percent). Surgeons with a primarily aesthetic surgery practice were more likely to use social media. Most respondents (64.6 percent) stated that social media had no effect on their practice, whereas 33.8 percent reported a positive impact and 1.5 percent reported a negative impact. This study depicts current patterns of social media use by plastic surgeons, including motivations driving its implementation and impressions on its impact. Many feel that social media are an effective marketing tool that generates increased exposure and referrals. A small number of surgeons have experienced negative repercussions from social media involvement. Our study reveals the presence of a void. There is a definite interest among those surveyed in developing best practice standards and oversight to ensure ethical use of social media platforms throughout the plastic surgery community. Continuing discussion regarding these matters should be ongoing as our experience with social media in plastic surgery evolves.
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                Author and article information

                Contributors
                cgordon@jhu.edu
                Kamrez@gmail.com
                Andrewli05@gmail.com
                vardanian@mednet.ucla.edu
                zelken@jhu.edu
                shores@jhu.edu
                jsacks@jhu.edu
                luisandressegovia@gmail.com
                (310) 825-0065 , rjarrahy@mednet.ucla.edu
                Journal
                Patient Saf Surg
                Patient Saf Surg
                Patient Safety in Surgery
                BioMed Central (London )
                1754-9493
                23 May 2015
                23 May 2015
                2015
                : 9
                : 21
                Affiliations
                [ ]Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD USA
                [ ]Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 200 UCLA Medical Plaza, Suite 465, Los Angeles, CA USA
                [ ]Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA USA
                Article
                70
                10.1186/s13037-015-0070-9
                4487585
                25621006
                8c9a72d7-40ce-4f99-9935-1210d9252040
                © Gordon et al; licensee BioMed Central. 2015

                This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the CreativeCommons Attribution License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver ( http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.

                History
                : 14 January 2015
                : 29 April 2015
                Categories
                Research
                Custom metadata
                © The Author(s) 2015

                Surgery
                Surgery

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