Análisis y comparación de la eficacia de una intervención por teleconsulta en el ámbito pediátrico

Abstract

Nowadays, Information and Communication Technologies are developing around the world, therefore, studying the use of the email in Primary Care can help us discover its impact and ensure the continuity of patient care. This research tries to assess parental satisfaction, using the Servqhos scale, in the face of an intervention by email in a pediatric nursing consultation. The study was carried in 2016 using a single-center, randomized, parallel-controlled clinical trial comparing a group with access to email use versus a control group receiving regular face-to-face consultation. For data collection, we chose Servqhos scale modified at baseline, three and six months after inclusion in the study. Our results identified 184 valid parents, finally recruiting 74, and a total of 402 consultations, with an average of 5.4 per patient. Of the total, 20% of consultations corresponded to reviews included in the Healthy Child Program. The majority of queries were solved by the nurse (control group 90.2% and intervention group 97.3%) without referral to other professionals. The main companion was the mother, highlighting the presence of fathers in the telematic consultation. Overall, we observed a high satisfaction level with the consultation and use of the email, obtaining a mean effect difference of 6.1 in favor of the intervention group (95% CI 2.3 to 9.8, t = 3.2; p = 0.002). The incidence of consultation reasons and contentment in this research are consistent with previous studies. Our results in relation to the level of accessibility, utility and speed of response by the healthcare provider would support the efficacy of the telematic intervention. Likewise, the introduction of digital technologies offers an opportunity for health promotion and a tool to improve and extend communication with the health professionals. Therefore, the email is a good method for closeness to nursing professionals.