Surgical ProceduresNCT06693869
The Risk of Surgical Cancellation in Adult Patients Assessed by Telephone Versus In-person for Scheduled Non-cardiac Elective Surgery.
An observational study of Surgical Procedures and Telemedicine, run by Universidad de Antioquia at 1 site in Colombia.
Trial summary
Telemedicine has been regulated in Colombia since 2006, with applications in anesthesia being explored since 2004 to improve accessibility and reduce costs. Although Decree 538 of 2020 expanded telemedicine's medical applications, challenges such as connectivity issues and training needs remain. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Surgical Procedures, Telemedicine, Preanesthetic Medication
- How many people
- 1,176 participants
- Where
- 1 siteColombia
- Study dates
- 1 Jan 2025to 1 Dec 2025
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: The study population includes adults aged 18 years and older scheduled for ambulatory elective non-cardiac surgeries at two healthcare institutions: Alma Mater Hospital of Antioquia and San Vicente Fundación University Hospital in Medellín.
Who may be able to join
- Patients who were scheduled for elective non-cardiac surgery.
Who cannot join
- Pregnant patients.
- Hospitalized patients
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Telemedicine has been regulated in Colombia since 2006, with applications in anesthesia being explored since 2004 to improve accessibility and reduce costs. Although Decree 538 of 2020 expanded telemedicine's medical applications, challenges such as connectivity issues and training needs remain. Telemedicine has shown promise in rural areas of Colombia, particularly for managing chronic diseases. However, further evidence is needed regarding the effectiveness of telephone pre-anesthetic evaluations.
This study aims to investigate the implementation of telephone assessments for non-cardiac surgery and their impact on surgical cancellations compared to in-person pre-anesthetic evaluations. The primary question to answer is:
Read more
¿Does telephone pre-anesthetic assessment in non-cardiac surgical patients carry a higher risk of surgical cancellations compared to in-person evaluations?
To address this question, investigators will evaluate patients' medical records in two hospitals where patients were assessed using both telephone and in-person modalities.
Read the detailed description
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of telemedicine, including its application in preoperative anesthesia evaluations. While the use of telephone assessments in anesthesiology is increasing, there is ongoing debate about their accuracy in identifying medical risks and predicting potential post-surgical outcomes. Preanesthetic evaluations are essential for determining patient suitability for surgery and for classifying surgical risk.
Despite the benefits of increased accessibility and cost reduction associated with telephone assessments, concerns persist regarding their ability to match the thoroughness of in-person evaluations. This is particularly relevant given the potential for higher rates of surgical cancellations.
In Colombia, telephone preanesthetic evaluations for non-cardiac elective surgeries are a recent development that may optimize resource use and enhance patient satisfaction. However, it is crucial to investigate whether they lead to a cancellation rate comparable to that of in-person assessments, as this could be a significant barrier to widespread implementation. This study examines the effectiveness of telephone assessments for non-cardiac surgeries and their impact on surgical cancellations compared to in-person preanesthetic evaluations. A secondary objective of the study is to evaluate the incidence of perioperative complications, including cardiovascular issues, pulmonary complications, bleeding, unexpected ICU admissions, and non-anticipated difficult airways.
- Conditions
- Surgical Procedures, Telemedicine, Preanesthetic Medication, Preoperative Care, Anesthesia, Risk Assessment
- Keywords
- Surgical Cancellation Risk, Preanesthetic Assessment, Telephone Preoperative Evaluation, In-Person Preoperative Evaluation, Elective Non-Cardiac Surgery, Surgery Cancellation Rate, Preanesthetic Evaluation Telemedicine, Telehealth in Preoperative Care, Comparison of Preanesthetic Methods, Risk Assessment for Surgery Cancellation, Postoperative Complications in Non-Cardiac Surgery, Patient Satisfaction with Telemedicine, Perioperative Outcomes, Remote Preoperative Consultation, Surgical Risk Management, Telemedicine vs. In-Person Evaluation, Retrospective Study in Anesthesiology, Surgical Outcome Prediction, Telemedicine in Anesthesiology, Preanesthetic Teleconsultation
- Medical subject headings
- Postoperative Complications
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Telephone pre-anesthetic evaluation | Surgical patients scheduled for elective non-cardiac surgery underwent pre-anesthetic evaluation through a telephone consultation, which included a review of medical history, medications, and risk factors made by anesthesiologists. No physical examination was conducted. | |
| In-Person pre-anesthetic evaluation | Surgical patients scheduled for elective non-cardiac surgery received an in-person pre-anesthetic evaluation performed by an anesthesiologist, which included a physical examination and a thorough risk assessment. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Surgical cancellation incidence
The incidence of surgical procedure cancellation because of a medical condition affecting the patient and the surgery.
Measured: Pre-surgery
Secondary outcomes (5)
Incidence of unanticipated difficult airway
Incidence of difficulties with facemask ventilation of the upper airway, tracheal intubation, or both.
Measured: During the surgery
Incidence of perioperative cardiovascular complications
Incidence of any perioperative cardiovascular complications during intraoperative or postoperative periods: all-cause death, sudden cardiac arrest, congestive heart failure, non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), pulmonary embolism.
Measured: Late postoperative (until 7 days after surgery)
Incidence of postoperative mechanical ventilation
Incidence of postoperative mechanical ventilation.
Measured: early postoperative (until 2 hours after surgery)
Incidence of perioperative respiratory complications
The occurrence of respiratory complications in the perioperative period, including pneumonia, can happen within seven days following surgery
Measured: Late postoperative (until 7 days after surgery)
Incidence of unplanned ICU admission
Incidence of unplanned ICU admission in the postoperative
Measured: early postoperative (until 2 hours after surgery)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted18 Nov 2024
- Study start1 Jan 2025
- Primary completion1 Jun 2025
- Study completion1 Dec 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (12)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Surgical ProceduresStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Retrospective
- Enrolment
- 1,176 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Universidad de Antioquia
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Fabian D Casas, Professor, Study director, Universidad de Antioquia
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06693869
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 16-2024
- Status last verified
- Apr 2026
- First submitted
- 12 Nov 2024
- Last updated
- 5 May 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Muñoz L, Reyes LE, Infante S, Quiroga J, Cabrera L, Obando N, et al. Cancelación de procedimientos electivos y su relación con la valoración preanestésica. Rev Repert Med Cir. 17 de abril de 2018;27(1):24-9.
Thompson T, Brophy T, Modgil V, Pearce I. Remote healthcare consultations: the new era of outpatient medicine. Trends Urol Mens Health. 2020;11(5):25-8.
Ryu S. Telemedicine: Opportunities and Developments in Member States: Report on the Second Global Survey on eHealth 2009 (Global Observatory for eHealth Series, Volume 2). Healthc Inform Res. junio de 2012;18(2):153-5.
Prados Castillejo JA. [Telemedicine, also a tool for the family doctor]. Aten Primaria. 2013 Mar;45(3):129-32. doi: 10.1016/j.aprim.2012.07.006. Epub 2012 Sep 11. No abstract available. Spanish.
PubMed 22981128Castillo VS, Cano CAG, Gonzalez-Argote J. Telemedicine and mHealth Applications for Health Monitoring in Rural Communities in Colombia: A Systematic Review.
Aldawoodi NN, Muncey AR, Serdiuk AA, Miller MD, Hanna MM, Laborde JM, Garcia Getting RE. A Retrospective Analysis of Patients Undergoing Telemedicine Evaluation in the PreAnesthesia Testing Clinic at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center. Cancer Control. 2021 Jan-Dec;28:10732748211044347. doi: 10.1177/10732748211044347.
PubMed 34644199Wongtangman K, Azimaraghi O, Freda J, Ganz-Lord F, Shamamian P, Bastien A, Mirhaji P, Himes CP, Rupp S, Green-Lorenzen S, Smith RV, Medrano EM, Anand P, Rego S, Velji S, Eikermann M. Incidence and predictors of case cancellation within 24 h in patients scheduled for elective surgical procedures. J Clin Anesth. 2022 Dec;83:110987. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinane.2022.110987. Epub 2022 Oct 26.
PubMed 36308990Zhang K, Rashid-Kolvear M, Waseem R, Englesakis M, Chung F. Virtual preoperative assessment in surgical patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Clin Anesth. 2021 Dec;75:110540. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinane.2021.110540. Epub 2021 Oct 11.
PubMed 34649158Schmidt AP, Modolo NSP, de Amorim CG, Simoes CM, Kraychete DC, Joaquim EHG, Lineburger EB, Papa FV, Fernandes FC, Mendes FF, Guimaraes GMN, Barros GAM, Silva-Jr JM, Navarro E Lima LH, Azi LMTA, Carvalho LIM, Stefani LC, Garcia LV, Malbouisson LMS, Salgado-Filho MF, Nascimento Junior PD, Alves RL, Carvalho VH, Quintao VC, Carmona MJC. Two years of the COVID-19 pandemic: an anesthesiology perspective. Braz J Anesthesiol. 2022 Mar-Apr;72(2):165-168. doi: 10.1016/j.bjane.2022.02.004. Epub 2022 Feb 19. No abstract available.
PubMed 35189166Kamdar NV, Huverserian A, Jalilian L, Thi W, Duval V, Beck L, Brooker L, Grogan T, Lin A, Cannesson M. Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of a Telemedicine Preoperative Evaluation Initiative at a Major Academic Medical Center. Anesth Analg. 2020 Dec;131(6):1647-1656. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000005208.
PubMed 32841990Lozada MJ, Nguyen JT, Abouleish A, Prough D, Przkora R. Patient preference for the pre-anesthesia evaluation: Telephone versus in-office assessment. J Clin Anesth. 2016 Jun;31:145-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinane.2015.12.040. Epub 2016 Apr 15.
PubMed 27185698Garg R, Hoda W. Emergence of Telehealth for anesthesiologists in COVID-19-boon for all! J Anaesthesiol Clin Pharmacol. 2020 Jul-Sep;36(3):417-419. doi: 10.4103/joacp.JOACP_416_20. Epub 2020 Sep 29. No abstract available.
PubMed 33487917
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 5 May 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Risk of Surgical Cancellation in Adult Patients Assessed by Telephone Versus In-person for Scheduled Non-cardiac Elective Surgery.
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06693869
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 16-2024
- Conditions
- Surgical Procedures, Telemedicine, Preanesthetic Medication, Preoperative Care, Anesthesia, Risk Assessment
- Keywords
- Surgical Cancellation Risk, Preanesthetic Assessment, Telephone Preoperative Evaluation, In-Person Preoperative Evaluation, Elective Non-Cardiac Surgery, Surgery Cancellation Rate, Preanesthetic Evaluation Telemedicine, Telehealth in Preoperative Care
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 1,176 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Universidad de AntioquiaUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Jan 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Jun 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 1 Dec 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 18 Nov 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Telemedicine has been regulated in Colombia since 2006, with applications in anesthesia being explored since 2004 to improve accessibility and reduce costs. Although Decree 538 of 2020 expanded telemedicine's medical applications, challenges such as connectivity issues and training needs remain. Telemedicine has shown promise in rural areas of Colombia, particularly for managing chronic diseases. However, further evidence is needed regarding the effectiveness of telephone pre-anesthetic evaluations.
This study aims to investigate the implementation of telephone assessments for non-cardiac surgery and their impact on surgical cancellations compared to in-person pre-anesthetic evaluations. The primary question to answer is:
¿Does telephone pre-anesthetic assessment in non-cardiac surgical patients carry a higher risk of surgical cancellations compared to in-person evaluations?
To address this question, investigators will evaluate patients' medical records in two hospitals where patients were assessed using both telephone and in-person modalities.
Detailed description
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of telemedicine, including its application in preoperative anesthesia evaluations. While the use of telephone assessments in anesthesiology is increasing, there is ongoing debate about their accuracy in identifying medical risks and predicting potential post-surgical outcomes. Preanesthetic evaluations are essential for determining patient suitability for surgery and for classifying surgical risk.
Despite the benefits of increased accessibility and cost reduction associated with telephone assessments, concerns persist regarding their ability to match the thoroughness of in-person evaluations. This is particularly relevant given the potential for higher rates of surgical cancellations.
In Colombia, telephone preanesthetic evaluations for non-cardiac elective surgeries are a recent development that may optimize resource use and enhance patient satisfaction. However, it is crucial to investigate whether they lead to a cancellation rate comparable to that of in-person assessments, as this could be a significant barrier to widespread implementation. This study examines the effectiveness of telephone assessments for non-cardiac surgeries and their impact on surgical cancellations compared to in-person preanesthetic evaluations. A secondary objective of the study is to evaluate the incidence of perioperative complications, including cardiovascular issues, pulmonary complications, bleeding, unexpected ICU admissions, and non-anticipated difficult airways.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Retrospective
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Telephone pre-anesthetic evaluation | – | –Surgical patients scheduled for elective non-cardiac surgery underwent pre-anesthetic evaluation through a telephone consultation, which included a review of medical history, medications, and risk factors made by anesthesiologists. No physical examination was conducted. |
| In-Person pre-anesthetic evaluation | – | –Surgical patients scheduled for elective non-cardiac surgery received an in-person pre-anesthetic evaluation performed by an anesthesiologist, which included a physical examination and a thorough risk assessment. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- The study population includes adults aged 18 years and older scheduled for ambulatory elective non-cardiac surgeries at two healthcare institutions: Alma Mater Hospital of Antioquia and San Vicente Fundación University Hospital in Medellín.
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Patients who were scheduled for elective non-cardiac surgery.
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Pregnant patients.
- Hospitalized patients
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
Surgical cancellation incidence
Time frame: Pre-surgery
The incidence of surgical procedure cancellation because of a medical condition affecting the patient and the surgery.
5 secondary outcomes
Incidence of unanticipated difficult airway
Time frame: During the surgery
Incidence of perioperative cardiovascular complications
Time frame: Late postoperative (until 7 days after surgery)
Incidence of postoperative mechanical ventilation
Time frame: early postoperative (until 2 hours after surgery)
Incidence of perioperative respiratory complications
Time frame: Late postoperative (until 7 days after surgery)
Incidence of unplanned ICU admission
Time frame: early postoperative (until 2 hours after surgery)
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 5 May 2026.
- Results publicationMuñoz L, Reyes LE, Infante S, Quiroga J, Cabrera L, Obando N, et al. Cancelación de procedimientos electivos y su relación con la valoración preanestésica. Rev Repert Med Cir. 17 de abril de 2018;27(1):24-9.
- Results publicationThompson T, Brophy T, Modgil V, Pearce I. Remote healthcare consultations: the new era of outpatient medicine. Trends Urol Mens Health. 2020;11(5):25-8.
- Results publicationRyu S. Telemedicine: Opportunities and Developments in Member States: Report on the Second Global Survey on eHealth 2009 (Global Observatory for eHealth Series, Volume 2). Healthc Inform Res. junio de 2012;18(2):153-5.
- Results publication: PubMed 22981128Prados Castillejo JA. [Telemedicine, also a tool for the family doctor]. Aten Primaria. 2013 Mar;45(3):129-32. doi: 10.1016/j.aprim.2012.07.006. Epub 2012 Sep 11. No abstract available. Spanish.
- Results publicationCastillo VS, Cano CAG, Gonzalez-Argote J. Telemedicine and mHealth Applications for Health Monitoring in Rural Communities in Colombia: A Systematic Review.
- Results publication: PubMed 34644199Aldawoodi NN, Muncey AR, Serdiuk AA, Miller MD, Hanna MM, Laborde JM, Garcia Getting RE. A Retrospective Analysis of Patients Undergoing Telemedicine Evaluation in the PreAnesthesia Testing Clinic at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center. Cancer Control. 2021 Jan-Dec;28:10732748211044347. doi: 10.1177/10732748211044347.
- Results publication: PubMed 36308990Wongtangman K, Azimaraghi O, Freda J, Ganz-Lord F, Shamamian P, Bastien A, Mirhaji P, Himes CP, Rupp S, Green-Lorenzen S, Smith RV, Medrano EM, Anand P, Rego S, Velji S, Eikermann M. Incidence and predictors of case cancellation within 24 h in patients scheduled for elective surgical procedures. J Clin Anesth. 2022 Dec;83:110987. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinane.2022.110987. Epub 2022 Oct 26.
- Results publication: PubMed 34649158Zhang K, Rashid-Kolvear M, Waseem R, Englesakis M, Chung F. Virtual preoperative assessment in surgical patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Clin Anesth. 2021 Dec;75:110540. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinane.2021.110540. Epub 2021 Oct 11.
- Results publication: PubMed 35189166Schmidt AP, Modolo NSP, de Amorim CG, Simoes CM, Kraychete DC, Joaquim EHG, Lineburger EB, Papa FV, Fernandes FC, Mendes FF, Guimaraes GMN, Barros GAM, Silva-Jr JM, Navarro E Lima LH, Azi LMTA, Carvalho LIM, Stefani LC, Garcia LV, Malbouisson LMS, Salgado-Filho MF, Nascimento Junior PD, Alves RL, Carvalho VH, Quintao VC, Carmona MJC. Two years of the COVID-19 pandemic: an anesthesiology perspective. Braz J Anesthesiol. 2022 Mar-Apr;72(2):165-168. doi: 10.1016/j.bjane.2022.02.004. Epub 2022 Feb 19. No abstract available.
- Results publication: PubMed 32841990Kamdar NV, Huverserian A, Jalilian L, Thi W, Duval V, Beck L, Brooker L, Grogan T, Lin A, Cannesson M. Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of a Telemedicine Preoperative Evaluation Initiative at a Major Academic Medical Center. Anesth Analg. 2020 Dec;131(6):1647-1656. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000005208.
- Results publication: PubMed 27185698Lozada MJ, Nguyen JT, Abouleish A, Prough D, Przkora R. Patient preference for the pre-anesthesia evaluation: Telephone versus in-office assessment. J Clin Anesth. 2016 Jun;31:145-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinane.2015.12.040. Epub 2016 Apr 15.
- Results publication: PubMed 33487917Garg R, Hoda W. Emergence of Telehealth for anesthesiologists in COVID-19-boon for all! J Anaesthesiol Clin Pharmacol. 2020 Jul-Sep;36(3):417-419. doi: 10.4103/joacp.JOACP_416_20. Epub 2020 Sep 29. No abstract available.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Fabian D Casas, Professor study director
Universidad de Antioquia
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Surgical Procedures and Telemedicine, run by Universidad de Antioquia at 1 site in Colombia.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 5 May 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Colombia. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Surgical cancellation incidence (time frame: Pre-surgery). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06693869, which also lists 12 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 5 May 2026.