Characteristics and consultation patterns of patients using telemedicine for peritoneal dialysis: a retrospective observational study

Abstract

This study aimed to characterize patients receiving peritoneal dialysis (PD) who used Internet hospital specialist nursing consultations and to explore their consultation patterns. Findings are intended to inform telemedicine policy refinement and improve understanding of service use in telemedicine-based PD care. We conducted a retrospective observational study of 130 PD patients who initiated online specialist nursing consultations in 2022. These consultations were asynchronous and served as an adjunct to routine in-person PD care. Patient characteristics and patterns of service use were summarized across four dimensions: demographic characteristics, consultation behavior, consultation trajectory, and consultation topics. Patient characterization was feasible using electronic health record and Internet hospital consultation data across demographic, behavioral, trajectory, and topic-related dimensions. Patients were predominantly male (61.5%), with a mean age of 38.4 years, and most resided outside the city (74.6%). Most consultations were patient-initiated, occurred during daytime hours, and used rich media formats, particularly text plus picture. Common consultation topics spanned General PD management (57.7%), Follow-up/hospitalization (25.4%), and Dialysate/supplies (19.2%), reflecting a strong demand for routine operational support. This study shows that routine telemedicine consultation data can be used to characterize PD patients across multiple dimensions and describe their care needs. The observed patterns of platform use and consultation topics may inform telemedicine service organization and follow-up planning for PD care. Not applicable. This study did not involve a clinical trial.