AB067. SOH21AS162. Virtual elective knee clinic—a pilot study
Orthopaedic Session I

AB067. SOH21AS162. Virtual elective knee clinic—a pilot study

Fergus McCabe1, Aisling Brennan2, Martin Kelly1, Andrew Hughes1, Conor O’Driscoll1, Michael Leonard1, John Quinlan1

1Department of Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgery, Tallaght University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; 2Department of Physiotherapy, Tallaght University Hospital, Tallaght University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland

Background: Virtual outpatient clinics have proven invaluable to continued treatment of patients during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Most interest to-date has focused on virtual fracture care. Our aim was to establish a virtual elective knee clinic in Tallaght University Hospital.

Methods: A new clinical initiative was established in Tallaght University Hospital in August 2020. Patients with knee pain referred from general practitioners (GPs) to the Orthopaedic Department without red flag features were deemed suitable for the virtual consultation. Weightbearing X-rays of both knees were performed prior to review. Virtual consultation was undertaken by MSK Clinical Specialist Physiotherapists. Clinicopathological data and outcome of the consultation were recorded.

Results: From August to mid-November 2020, 86 patients were reviewed in the virtual elective knee clinic. Sixty-five percent were female, while mean age was 66 years (SD: 10). Mean consultation time was 17 minutes (SD: 5). Seventy-eight patients (91%) had radiograph-confirmed osteoarthritis. Mean Oxford Knee Score was 31 (SD: 9). Fifty-two patients (60%) were discharged back to the care of their GP following the consultation. Thirty-one (36%) were referred for physiotherapy management; 21 (24%) were given advice and education; 8 (9%) were booked for a physical examination to ascertain diagnosis. Twelve patients (14%) were booked directly for a knee injection, while consultant orthopaedic surgical opinion was sought in 14 patients (16%).

Conclusions: We have successfully piloted a virtual clinic for assessment and treatment of elective knee patients. Projects such as these will prove invaluable to provide care to those on ever-increasing waiting lists, in particular during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: Virtual; knee; elective; coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); initiative

Acknowledgments

Funding: None.

Footnote

Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Ethical Statement: The authors are accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Open Access Statement: This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which permits the non-commercial replication and distribution of the article with the strict proviso that no changes or edits are made and the original work is properly cited (including links to both the formal publication through the relevant DOI and the license). See: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.

doi: 10.21037/map-21-ab067
Cite this abstract as: McCabe F, Brennan A, Kelly M, Hughes A, O’Driscoll C, Leonard M, Quinlan J. SOH21AS162. Virtual elective knee clinic—a pilot study. Mesentery Peritoneum 2021;5:AB067.

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