NCT Number: NCT07420114
Outpatient Visits Versus Telehealth for Postoperative Care After Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery
Telehealth, or telemedicine, utilizes technology to deliver clinical care remotely, either in real time or asynchronously, between clinician and patient. Telemedicine has been successfully implemented to increase healthcare delivery for patients in rural areas with otherwise long travel times, and studies have also determined that telemedicine can increase patient satisfaction scores while simultaneously decreasing direct and indirect costs for patients.
Previous scholarship has demonstrated that telemedicine can be a safe alternative to face-to-face postoperative visits for surgical patients, streamlining recovery with no significant delays in the diagnosis of surgical complications. As healthcare systems continue to emphasize value-based care, it is important to assess whether virtual postoperative visits effectively meet patient needs while optimizing resource utilization.
Patient-reported outcomes and satisfaction surveys can help identify potential gaps in care and ensure that telehealth is implemented in a way to maximize both efficiency and quality. Our primary objective is to determine whether patient satisfaction with postoperative telehealth follow-up is non-inferior to in-person clinic visits.
Trial opening soon.
Get NotifiedKey information
Age range
18 year and older
Sex eligibility
Female
Study type
Observational
Primary location
University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States
Who can participate
Healthy volunteers accepted: No
Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.
Inclusion criteria
- Participant has provided written informed consent.
- Women over the age of 18.
- Ability for patients to complete telehealth visits (i.e. working telephone or internet access) and speak and understand English.
- Laparoscopic or robotic surgeries including: excision of endometriosis, adnexal surgery with oophorectomy or cystectomy, myomectomy, and hysterectomy.
- Undergoing minimally invasive gynecologic surgeries with complex pelvic surgeons (AAGL fellowship-trained).
Exclusion criteria
- Conversion to open surgery.
- Malignancy noted intraoperatively or on final pathology evaluation.
- Surgeon or patient preference for in person clinic follow up.
- Pregnancy - pregnancy tests will be completed as part of routine preoperative care on the day of surgery
Treatment and study plan
Primary outcomes
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Patient satisfaction with surgery and postoperative visits
Time frame: 3 months
Satisfaction scores will be compiled from participant responses to the Surgical-Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (S-CAHPS) questionnaire. This questionnaire was developed by the American College of Surgeons and includes seven composites: (1) information to help prepare for surgery, (2) surgeon communication preoperatively, (3) surgeon attentiveness on the day of surgery, (4) information to help during recovery, (5) surgeon communication after surgery, (6) qualities of office staff, and (7) an overall surgeon rating. Specific attention will be paid to participant ratings of items 4, 5, and 7.
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Patient satisfaction with virtual care delivery
Time frame: 3 months
Satisfaction scores will be compiled from responses to the Telehealth Usability Questionnaire (TUQ): a validated tool of 21 questions used to assess patients' and providers' perceptions of telehealth systems. It evaluates domains such as ease of use, interface quality, interaction quality, reliability, and overall satisfaction, providing a structured way to measure and improve telehealth user experience (graded on a 5-point Likert scale).
Secondary outcomes
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Additional healthcare utilization and adverse events
Time frame: 3 months
Patient safety will be gauged by proxy via measurement of additional healthcare utilization by participants during the follow-up interval; specifically, the number of hospital re-admissions, emergency department or urgent care visits, and unscheduled clinic visits. Additionally, incidence of reoperation, blood transfusion, and wound infections will be tracked.
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Incidence of common postoperative outcomes
Time frame: 3 months
Clinical outcomes will be evaluated by a standardized institutional postoperative questionnaire which queries patients about common postoperative symptoms including return of bowel function, return of appetite, use of additional pain medications, fevers, and vaginal bleeding.
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Postoperative pain
Time frame: 3 months
Pain scores will be tabulated using the Short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire 2
Study contacts
Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.
Josef Jackson, MD
CONTACT
Sumeyra Agambayev, MS
CONTACT
Sponsors and collaborators
Lead sponsor
University of Chicago
Other
Registry information
Official study title
Outpatient Visits Versus Telehealth for Postoperative Care After Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Acronym: Telehealth RCT
Important dates
- Study start
- 2026
- Primary completion
- 2026
- Study completion
- 2026
- First posted
- Feb 19, 2026
- Registry last updated
- Jul 13, 2026
OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.
View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.