Abstract
Objective In the setting of an inner city, safety net hospital, patient satisfaction with prenatal
care conducted via telehealth was compared with in-person visits at the height of
the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Study Design Through this cross-sectional study, patients were identified who received at least
one televisit and one in-person visit during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Short Assessment
of Patient Satisfaction (SAPS) survey was used to measure patient satisfaction. Surveys
pertaining to in-person and televisits were conducted at the end of a telephone encounter,
and overall satisfaction scores were documented. Patients were excluded if they received
in-person or virtual care only and not both. The SAPS score correlated with the degree
of patient satisfaction.
Results A total of 140 patients were identified who received both virtual and in-person prenatal
care from March 1, 2020 to May 1, 2020. One hundred and four patients (74%) agreed
to be surveyed: 77 (74%) self-identified as Hispanic and 56 (54%) stated that their
primary language was Spanish. The overall median satisfaction score for televisits
and in-person visits was 20 (interquartile range [IQR]: 20, 25) and 24 (IQR: 22, 26)
(p = 0.008, Z score = 2.651). In patients who self-identified as Hispanic or identified their primary
language as Spanish, there was no statistically significant difference in their satisfaction
scores.
Conclusion While there were lower scores in patient satisfaction for televisits in every category,
there were no clinically significant differences since all medians were in the “satisfied”
range. By lowering patient exposure to severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2
(SARS-CoV-2), especially for those at risk for reduced access to care and higher COVID-19
cases by zip code, telehealth allowed for appropriate continuation of satisfactory
prenatal care with no impact on patient perceived satisfaction of care.
Key Points
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Telehealth allowed for continuation of satisfactory prenatal care in Hispanic patients.
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Hispanic patients are at risk for reduced access to care.
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Telehealth was a useful tool for achieving patient-perceived satisfactory care.
Keywords
telemedicine - patient satisfaction - SAPS - COVID-19 - prenatal care - Hispanic
