Key points
- Telephone clinics in otorhinolaryngology have become increasingly
common in response to the novel coronavirus 19 disease pandemic.
- This retrospective cohort study compares the utilisation of telephone
versus face-to-face consultations for new otology referrals with
respect to clinic outcomes.
- Our data suggests that new otology patients undergoing a telephone
consultation are significantly less likely to be discharged or added
to a waiting list for treatment compared to patients undergoing a
face-to-face review.
- Telephone clinics for new otology referrals are currently limited by
lack of clinical examination and audiometric assessment.
- Remote assessment pathways in otology that incorporate asynchronous
review of recorded examinations alongside audiometry, either
conventional or boothless, may mitigate this problem, however further
research is required.