to answer any concerns they may have had regarding the pandemic, providing further reassurance of their trust in that vascular center. This is important to note, considering 60% of patients stated they were fearful of returning to a hospital setting given these circumstances.


During a public health crisis like COVID-19, ASFs provide the ability to effectively complete procedures without requiring patients to stay overnight, allowing more patients and essential procedures to be scheduled in a timely fashion. The quicker access to procedural care that ASFs provide can be better understood by the 92% average patient satisfaction rating when they were asked to rate the quickness of care for their illness or injury.


Continued implementation of technological advancements and adaptations also yielded positive feedback from patients, showing that of those who participated in a telehealth session, 100% patient satisfaction was received. To further improve patient satisfaction in telemedicine, one outpatient vascular ASF partnered with Current Health technologies, an AI remote patient monitoring organization, to implement patient monitoring devices and platforms.12


Over a 3-year period using electronic health record (EHR) and the state Patient Safety Reporting System (PSRS) system, data was gathered for primary analysis of an adverse event (morbidity or mortality) within 72 hours post-procedure. The procedural related outcomes presented outstanding with a 99% success rate overall with a vascular system and an average of a 99% patient engagement and satisfaction rating of overall experience for a survey processed in 2017. The survey processed in 2017 included a 98% average rating of pain management post-procedure and a 99% average rating of ease of appointment. The characteristics and outcomes of the survey processed in 2017 similarly correlate to responses seen in the 2020 survey processed during the COVID-19 pandemic exemplifying the success of ASFs during pre- and current pandemic times.


Conclusion Freestanding, outpatient vascular centers are an important part of the care continuum. In the pandemic recovery period, with patients still reluctant to seek medically necessary care, ASFs can provide an appealing, safe alternative to larger medical facilities, and play a role in the future of education and patient engagement.


References


1. Stahel, PF. How to risk-stratify elective surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic? BMC Patient Saf Surg. 2020;14:8.


2. Bayne E., Norris C., and Timmons E. A Primer on Emergency Occupational Licensing Reforms for Combating COVID-19. Mercatus Special Edition Policy Brief. 2020.


3. Mesbah Oskui P, Kloner RA, Burstein S, et al. The safety and efficacy of peripheral vascular procedures performed in the outpatient setting. J Invasive Cardiol. 2015;27(5):243–249.


4. Rajan N, Joshi GP. COVID-19: Role of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities in This Global Pandemic. Anesth Analg. 2020;131(1):31–36.


5. Cavallo JJ, Forman HP. The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on radiology practices. Radiology 2020;296(3):E141–E144.


6. Emanuel EJ, et al. Fair allocation of scarce medical resources in the time of Covid-19. N Engl J Med. 2020;382:2049–2055.


7. Hemingway JF, Singh N, Starnes BW. Emerging practice patterns in vascular surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Vasc Surg. 2020;72(2):396–402.


8. Mousa AY, Broce M. The impact of COVID- 19 on vascular training. J Vasc Surg. 2020;72(1):380–381.


9. Mann DM, Chen J, Chunara R, Testa PA, Nov O. COVID-19 transforms health care through telemedicine: Evidence from the field. J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2020;27(7):1132–1135.


10. Contreras CM, Metzger GA, Beane JD, Dedhia PH, Ejaz A, Pawlik TM. Telemedicine: Patient-Provider Clinical Engagement During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond. J Gastrointest Surg. 2020;24(7):1692–1697.


11. Nouri, S., Khoong, E. C., Lyles, C. R., & Karliner, L. (2020). Addressing equity in telemedicine for chronic disease management during the Covid-19 pandemic. NEJM Catalyst Innovations in Care Delivery, 1(3).


12. Current Health, currenthealth.com.


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