Abstract No. 480 Telephone-based virtual visits in interventional radiology during the COVID-19 pandemic: feasibility and opportunities for increasing access to care

Purpose: Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, access to in-person care has been limited. The aim of this study is to assess the value of telephone-based virtual visits in interventional radiology (IR) during the COVID-19 pandemic and to determine their utility relative to in-person visits. Materials and Methods: In this study, we surveyed interventional radiologists and advanced practice providers (APPs) on their experience with telephone-based virtual follow-up visits in the first month of the pandemic. An internally validated survey was administered to participants assessing the following: appropriateness of visits, types of visits conducted and how virtual visits compare to traditional in-person visits. We also assessed efficiency, patient access, perceived patient experience, and provider experience using a 10-point Likert-scale (10 = best possible experience). Results: The study enrolled 10 providers who saw 97 patients for follow-up visits. 70% of providers had visits for drain assessments, 30% for interventional oncology, 20% for venous interventions, and 10% for TIPS. 66.7% of surveyed providers indicated that drain follow-up visits were best suited for telephone visits. 33.3% indicated that TIPS follow-up visits were suited for telephone visits, while 22.2% indicated that it was the case for interventional oncology and venous intervention follow-up visits. 60% of respondents stated that telephone-based visits were as helpful as in-person visits, and 90% found that they increased their clinic efficiency. 60% of providers stated that telephone-based visits improved patient access to the clinic by allowing access to appointments during the pandemic, quicker time to appointment scheduling, and shorter patient waiting room wait times. 100% of providers agreed that visits somewhat or greatly improved patients’ care experiences, and they rated their visit experience at an average of 7 ± 1.37 on a 10-point Likert scale. 40% of providers indicated that they might prefer the option of telephone-based follow-up visits in the future, and 50% of providers indicated they definitely would. Conclusions: Telephone-based virtual visits in IR improve patient access to care when in-person visits are restricted due to COVID-19. Many providers found these visits equally as helpful as in-person visits and expressed interest in implementing them in the future. Telephone-based virtual visits in IR contribute to a novel paradigm of care during the COVID-19 crisis and may help formulate a new standard of care after the pandemic.