Electronic follow-up of XXXX in the emergency department.

@entity1 @entity4551
It is often difficult for emergency department staff to follow up the primary closure of simple @entity4551 . This is important to allow closure of the feedback loop. Consecutive @entity1 who were sutured by a single operator using the same technique were asked to send a photograph of the laceration six months and 12 months afterwards. The @entity1 had Internet access and a digital camera, or a mobile phone with a camera. They were given a leaflet with the details of the email address or mobile number to send the picture to. A reminder telephone call was made to each @entity1 at six months and 12 months, and the email address or mobile number to send the picture to was given again. In each telephone call @entity1 were asked to grade the healing on a 5-point scale from 1 = very happy to 5 = very unhappy. At 13 months all @entity1 were re-contacted and reminded again. Fifty @entity1 were included in the study (33 males). The cause of injury was sport in 17 @entity1 , assault in 18 and accidents in 15. At six months, 23 @entity1 stated that they were happy and 27 were very happy with the scar. The mean score was 1.5. At 12 and 13 months, four @entity1 were happy and 46 very happy. The mean score was 1.1. Twenty-four @entity1 said they would use a computer/camera to send in the follow-up image, and 26 @entity1 had a mobile phone with a camera and said they would use that. Despite the reminders, no @entity1 sent a photograph. The results provide no evidence to support the use of photographs sent by email or text message for the follow-up of @entity4551 sutured in the emergency department.
