# Virtual Fracture Clinic: A Helping Hand for an Overburdened Traditional Fracture Clinic in a Busy Major Trauma Center

## TL;DR

A virtual fracture clinic reduced the workload of traditional clinics by safely managing many orthopedic cases remotely.

## Contribution

Demonstrates the effectiveness of virtual fracture clinics in reducing face-to-face consultations and managing trauma cases efficiently.

## Key findings

- 62% of patients were discharged with self-managed follow-up, reducing clinic visits.
- 16.9% of discharged patients later required subspecialty care.
- Injury type significantly influenced virtual fracture clinic outcomes.

## Abstract

Introduction

Virtual fracture clinics (VFCs) were established to improve the efficiency of orthopedic care by reducing unnecessary face-to-face consultations, decreasing waiting times, and providing timely specialist advice. This study aims to evaluate the utilization of the VFC at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (Cambridge, GBR), over 12 months and assess its effectiveness in managing patients referred from emergency departments and minor injury units.

Methods

This retrospective study included all patients referred to the VFC between January 2023 and January 2024. Data were collected from hospital electronic records and analyzed using SPSS Statistics version 20.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Patients were assessed by a consultant orthopaedic surgeon based on referral details and imaging findings. Clinical outcomes were documented as face-to-face consultation, discharge with patient-initiated follow-up (PIFU), or referral to subspecialty clinics.

Results

A total of 5,034 patients were reviewed by the VFC. The most common injuries involved the wrist, hand, foot, ankle, shoulder, and knee. Of the total patients, 62% were discharged with PIFU, while 30.4% required face-to-face consultation. Among patients initially discharged with PIFU, 16.9% were subsequently rebooked into subspecialty clinics for further evaluation. Statistical analysis demonstrated a significant association between injury type and VFC outcome, indicating a moderate effect size.

Conclusions

The VFC model effectively managed a substantial proportion of patients referred from emergency departments and minor injury units, providing safe and efficient care while reducing the burden on traditional fracture clinics.