Smartphone-based videoconference visits are easy to implement, effective, and feasible in Crohn's disease patients: a prospective cohort study

Abstract

Aim: Crohn's disease patients require life-long follow-up resulting in frequent hospital visits. The benefits of telehealth have been established in the remote management of Crohn’s disease but the role of mobile technology is missing. Our goal was to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of smartphone-based real-time video visits. Material and Method: We followed 139 patients with either traditional (FTF) or online clinics (OLV) at a university hospital between May 2020- December 2020. We measured patients' satisfaction, disease activity, visit outcomes, socioeconomic parameters, and travel expenses to assess the effectiveness and acceptance of OLV. Results: Satisfaction scores were significantly higher at OLV compared to FTF (89.58±9.93 vs 70.85±18.51, p