Development of a carpark cardiac implantable electronic device clinic to improve time efficiency and patient satisfaction in the context of restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract

We evaluated time efficiency and patient satisfaction of a "car park clinic" (CPC) compared to traditional face-to-face (F2F) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Consecutive patients attending CPC between September 2020 and November 2021 were surveyed. CPC time was recorded by staff. F2F time was reported by patients and administrative data. A total of 591 patients attended the CPC. A total of 176 responses were collected for F2F clinic. Regarding satisfaction, 90% of CPC patients responded "happy" or "very happy." 96% reported feeling "safe" or "very safe." Patients spent significantly less time in CPC compared to F2F (17 ± 8 vs. 50 ± 24 min, p < .001). CPC had excellent patient satisfaction and superior time efficiency compared to F2F.