Economic, Environmental, and Social Value of Virtual Care in Otolaryngology: Sustainability in Quality Improvement Framework

ObjectiveApply the Sustainability in Quality Improvement framework to virtual care for Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (OHNS) patients to understand the economic, environmental, and social impacts.MethodsThis project consisted of retrospective analysis of anonymized data from all appointments that took place in three academic ambulatory OHNS clinics (pediatrics, head and neck, and otology/neurotology) from fiscal years of 2021 to 2023. Data were obtained from our institution's Virtual Care Dashboard. The following metrics were calculated: travel costs avoided with virtual appointments (economic value), fuel and carbon emissions avoided with virtual appointments (environmental value), and differences in Ontario Marginalization (ON-Marg) Index scores between patients seen virtually versus in-person (social value).ResultsA total of 41,343 visits occurred over the 2-year period (18.1% virtual). Nearly all virtual visits were by telephone (99.6%). The average cost savings per virtual care visit was $87.50, and total cost savings across all 3 clinics was $640,300. Total environmental savings were 82,500 L of fuel and 246.6 metric tons of carbon emissions. There were no statistical differences in monthly average marginalization (ON-Marg) indices in patients seen virtually compared to in-person.DiscussionVirtual care demonstrated financial and environmental savings for OHNS patients that can accumulate over multiple appointments. No difference in ON-Marg indices between patients assessed virtually versus in-person suggests that virtual care was accessible for patients regardless of social background.Implications for PracticeOur data suggests that virtual care may be a viable complement for delivering OHNS care that leads to fiscal and environmental savings for patients and ensures equitable access to care.