CONSORT-EHEALTH (V 1.6.1)-Submission/Publication Form

The CONSORT-EHEALTH checklist is intended for authors of randomized trials evaluating web-based and Internet-based applications/interventions, including mobile interventions, electronic games (incl multiplayer games), social media, certain telehealth applications, and other interactive and/or networked electronic applications. Some of the items (e.g. all subitems under item 5 description of the intervention) may also be applicable for other study designs.

If this is a JMIR submission, please provide the manuscript tracking number under "other" (The ms tracking number can be found in the submission acknowledgement email, or when you login as author in JMIR. If the paper is already published in JMIR, then the ms tracking number is the four-digit number at the end of the DOI, to be found at the bottom of each published article in JMIR) ms#42839 TITLE AND ABSTRACT 1a) TITLE: Identification as a randomized trial in the title yes Other: subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential 1a) Does your paper address CONSORT item 1a? * I.e does the title contain the phrase "Randomized Controlled Trial"? (if not, explain the reason under "other")

1a-i) Identify the mode of delivery in the title
Identify the mode of delivery. Preferably use "web-based" and/or "mobile" and/or "electronic game" in the title. Avoid ambiguous terms like "online", "virtual", "interactive". Use "Internet-based" only if Intervention includes non-web-based Internet components (e.g. email), use "computer-based" or "electronic" only if osine products are used. Use "virtual" only in the context of "virtual reality" (3-D worlds). Use "online" only in the context of "online support groups". Complement or substitute product names with broader terms for the class of products (such as "mobile" or "smart phone" instead of "iphone"), especially if the application runs on different platforms.
subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential Does your paper address subitem 1a-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from manuscript title (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Digital Health App Video Consultations in Follow-up Care" 1a-ii) Non-web-based components or important co-interventions in title Mention non-web-based components or important co-interventions in title, if any (e.g., "with telephone support").
Does your paper address subitem 1a-ii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from manuscript title (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Your answer 1a-iii) Primary condition or target group in the title Mention primary condition or target group in the title, if any (e.g., "for children with Type I Diabetes") Example: A Web-based and Mobile Intervention with Telephone Support for Children with Type I Diabetes: Randomized Controlled Trial 1b) ABSTRACT: Structured summary of trial design, methods, results, and conclusions NPT extension: Description of experimental treatment, comparator, care providers, centers, and blinding status.
subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential Does your paper address subitem 1a-iii? * Copy and paste relevant sections from manuscript title (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Patients in Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery in Germany"

1b-i) Key features/functionalities/components of the intervention and comparator in the METHODS section of the ABSTRACT
Mention key features/functionalities/components of the intervention and comparator in the abstract. If possible, also mention theories and principles used for designing the site. Keep in mind the needs of systematic reviewers and indexers by including important synonyms. (Note: Only report in the abstract what the main paper is reporting. If this information is missing from the main body of text, consider adding it) Does your paper address subitem 1b-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript abstract (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study 1 2 3 4 5 essential subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential 1b-ii) Level of human involvement in the METHODS section of the ABSTRACT Clarify the level of human involvement in the abstract, e.g., use phrases like "fully automated" vs. "therapist/nurse/care provider/physician-assisted" (mention number and expertise of providers involved, if any). (Note: Only report in the abstract what the main paper is reporting. If this information is missing from the main body of text, consider adding it) Does your paper address subitem 1b-ii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript abstract (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Your answer 1b-iii) Open vs. closed, web-based (self-assessment) vs. face-to-face assessments in the METHODS section of the ABSTRACT Mention how participants were recruited (online vs. osine), e.g., from an open access website or from a clinic or a closed online user group (closed usergroup trial), and clarify if this was a purely web-based trial, or there were face-to-face components (as part of the intervention or for assessment). Clearly say if outcomes were self-assessed through questionnaires (as common in web-based trials). Note: In traditional osine trials, an open trial (open-label trial) is a type of clinical trial in which both the researchers and participants know which treatment is being administered. To avoid confusion, use "blinded" or "unblinded" to indicated the level of blinding instead of "open", as "open" in web-based trials usually refers to "open access" (i.e. participants can self-enrol). (Note: Only report in the abstract what the main paper is reporting. If this information is missing from the main body of text, consider adding it) subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential Does your paper address subitem 1b-iii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript abstract (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Your answer 1b-iv) RESULTS section in abstract must contain use data Report number of participants enrolled/assessed in each group, the use/uptake of the intervention (e.g., attrition/adherence metrics, use over time, number of logins etc.), in addition to primary/secondary outcomes. (Note: Only report in the abstract what the main paper is reporting. If this information is missing from the main body of text, consider adding it) Does your paper address subitem 1b-iv?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript abstract (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Describe the problem and the type of system/solution that is object of the study: intended as stand-alone intervention vs. incorporated in broader health care program? Intended for a particular patient population? Goals of the intervention, e.g., being more cost-effective to other interventions, replace or complement other solutions? (Note: Details about the intervention are provided in "Methods" under 5) Does your paper address subitem 2a-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Following the global pandemic response, there has been an increasing interest in telemedicine in clinical practice to reduce the potential disease spread, but also in science, which is reflected in a growing number of literature reviews [2,[15][16][17][18][19][20]. The number of clinical trials, however, remains limited. In particular, there are only few health economic analyses of the use of telemedicine in orthopedic and trauma surgery follow-up care [15,21]. In addition to patient satisfaction and quality of care, the societal perspective needs to consider both economic and environmental effects in order to support stakeholders in deciding whether to implement telemedicine in orthopedic and trauma surgery." subitem not at all important Does your paper address subitem 2a-ii? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "When used for outpatient follow-up care in orthopedic and trauma surgery, for example, video consultations can relieve patients of any restrictions on their mobility or of the need to travel long distances [3][4][5]. Patient satisfaction, physician satisfaction, and clinical outcomes often show comparable results between telemedicine and conventional face to face (F2F) examinations in the hospital, demonstrating that video consultations can be a safe and efficient alternative for patient care in orthopedic and trauma surgery [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]." METHODS 3a) Description of trial design (such as parallel, factorial) including allocation ratio 3b) Important changes to methods after trial commencement (such as eligibility criteria), with reasons Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 2b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "The aim of this study is to provide the first health economic analysis comparing telemedicine in the follow-up of orthopedic and trauma surgery patients with knee and shoulder disorders with conventional F2F examinations in the clinic for Germany. The analysis focuses on the societal perspective, considering on the one hand the patients' point of view in terms of potential time and cost savings and on the other hand the environmental impact regarding potential savings of emissions and environmental costs." Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 3a? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "The data used for the health economic analysis were obtained by a prospective RCT conducted at a single German university hospital (University Hospital Giessen, Department of Trauma, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, Level 1 trauma center) between September 2020 and April 2021. The RCT is reported according to the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) [26]. Orthopedic and trauma surgery patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to an intervention group or a control group for a single follow-up appointment." subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential 4a) Eligibility criteria for participants Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 3b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Not applicable for our study.

3b-i) Bug fixes, Downtimes, Content Changes
Bug Pxes, Downtimes, Content Changes: ehealth systems are often dynamic systems. A description of changes to methods therefore also includes important changes made on the intervention or comparator during the trial (e.g., major bug Pxes or changes in the functionality or content) (5-iii) and other "unexpected events" that may have intuenced study design such as staff changes, system failures/downtimes, etc. [2].
Does your paper address subitem 3b-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study

4a-i) Computer / Internet literacy
Computer / Internet literacy is often an implicit "de facto" eligibility criterion -this should be explicitly clariPed.
subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential Does your paper address subitem 4a-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Your answer 4a-ii) Open vs. closed, web-based vs. face-to-face assessments: Open vs. closed, web-based vs. face-to-face assessments: Mention how participants were recruited (online vs. osine), e.g., from an open access website or from a clinic, and clarify if this was a purely web-based trial, or there were face-to-face components (as part of the intervention or for assessment), i.e., to what degree got the study team to know the participant. In online-only trials, clarify if participants were quasi-anonymous and whether having multiple identities was possible or whether technical or logistical measures (e.g., cookies, email conPrmation, phone calls) were used to detect/prevent these.
Does your paper address subitem 4a-ii? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Patients who were eligible for the study based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria in Table 1 were asked either at the clinic or by telephone if they wished to participate in the RCT." subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential 4b) Settings and locations where the data were collected 4a-iii) Information giving during recruitment Information given during recruitment. Specify how participants were briefed for recruitment and in the informed consent procedures (e.g., publish the informed consent documentation as appendix, see also item X26), as this information may have an effect on user self-selection, user expectation and may also bias results.
Does your paper address subitem 4a-iii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Your answer Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 4b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "The intervention group did not attend a standard outpatient follow-up appointment in the clinic, but had a real-time online video consultation with the treating physician instead. The control group, on the other hand, was treated conventionally and received a F2F examination in the clinic." subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential 4b-i) Report if outcomes were (self-)assessed through online questionnaires Clearly report if outcomes were (self-)assessed through online questionnaires (as common in web-based trials) or otherwise.
Does your paper address subitem 4b-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "After the follow-up appointments, patients completed questionnaires in both the intervention and control group." Intervention group received online questionnaires. Control group completed the questionnaires in the clinic.

4b-ii) Report how institutional affiliations are displayed
Report how institutional a{liations are displayed to potential participants [on ehealth media], as a{liations with prestigious hospitals or universities may affect volunteer rates, use, and reactions with regards to an intervention.(Not a required item -describe only if this may bias results) 5) The interventions for each group with sufficient details to allow replication, including how and when they were actually administered subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential Does your paper address subitem 4b-ii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Your answer

5-i) Mention names, credential, affiliations of the developers, sponsors, and owners
Mention names, credential, a{liations of the developers, sponsors, and owners [6] (if authors/evaluators are owners or developer of the software, this needs to be declared in a "Contict of interest" section or mentioned elsewhere in the manuscript).

Does your paper address subitem 5-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study essential 5-ii) Describe the history/development process Describe the history/development process of the application and previous formative evaluations (e.g., focus groups, usability testing), as these will have an impact on adoption/use rates and help with interpreting results.
Does your paper address subitem 5-ii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Your answer

5-iii) Revisions and updating
Revisions and updating. Clearly mention the date and/or version number of the application/intervention (and comparator, if applicable) evaluated, or describe whether the intervention underwent major changes during the evaluation process, or whether the development and/or content was "frozen" during the trial. Describe dynamic components such as news feeds or changing content which may have an impact on the replicability of the intervention (for unexpected events see item 3b).
subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential Does your paper address subitem 5-iii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Your answer

5-iv) Quality assurance methods
Provide information on quality assurance methods to ensure accuracy and quality of information provided [1], if applicable.
Does your paper address subitem 5-iv?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study essential 5-v) Ensure replicability by publishing the source code, and/or providing screenshots/screen-capture video, and/or providing flowcharts of the algorithms used Ensure replicability by publishing the source code, and/or providing screenshots/screencapture video, and/or providing towcharts of the algorithms used. Replicability (i.e., other researchers should in principle be able to replicate the study) is a hallmark of scientiPc reporting.

Does your paper address subitem 5-v?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Your answer

5-vi) Digital preservation
Digital preservation: Provide the URL of the application, but as the intervention is likely to change or disappear over the course of the years; also make sure the intervention is archived (Internet Archive, webcitation.org, and/or publishing the source code or screenshots/videos alongside the article). As pages behind login screens cannot be archived, consider creating demo pages which are accessible without login.
subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential Does your paper address subitem 5-vi?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Your answer

5-vii) Access
Access: Describe how participants accessed the application, in what setting/context, if they had to pay (or were paid) or not, whether they had to be a member of speciPc group. If known, describe how participants obtained "access to the platform and Internet" [1].
To ensure access for editors/reviewers/readers, consider to provide a "backdoor" login account or demo mode for reviewers/readers to explore the application (also important for archiving purposes, see vi).
Does your paper address subitem 5-vii? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study On the day of their appointment, the patients received log-in details for the video consultation from their physicians via SMS text message or email. No additional registration was required for the video consultation. At the arranged time, both the attending physician and the patient logged in to the software program, and the video consultation was conducted.
subitem not at all important Does your paper address subitem 5-viii? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "The video consultations in the intervention group were browser-based for physicians and multi-platform for patients including a digital health app or a browser-based software from a German telemedicine provider. The software complies with the legal requirements in Germany and is recognized by the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians. The university hospital paid a monthly fee for each physician to use the software. Video consultation procedures were deliberately kept as simple and functional as possible to ensure that they would be viable in regular clinical practice: All video consultations were performed directly between the physicians in the clinic and the patients, regardless of their location. No other medical providers, such as local caregivers or others, were involved. Patients received written instructions on how to conduct the video consultation, and no additional clinical staff were required to assist the patients." subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential 5-ix) Describe use parameters Describe use parameters (e.g., intended "doses" and optimal timing for use). Clarify what instructions or recommendations were given to the user, e.g., regarding timing, frequency, heaviness of use, if any, or was the intervention used ad libitum.
Does your paper address subitem 5-ix?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Your answer

5-x) Clarify the level of human involvement
Clarify the level of human involvement (care providers or health professionals, also technical assistance) in the e-intervention or as co-intervention (detail number and expertise of professionals involved, if any, as well as "type of assistance offered, the timing and frequency of the support, how it is initiated, and the medium by which the assistance is delivered". It may be necessary to distinguish between the level of human involvement required for the trial, and the level of human involvement required for a routine application outside of a RCT setting (discuss under item 21 -generalizability).
subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential Does your paper address subitem 5-x?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Your answer

5-xi) Report any prompts/reminders used
Report any prompts/reminders used: Clarify if there were prompts (letters, emails, phone calls, SMS) to use the application, what triggered them, frequency etc. It may be necessary to distinguish between the level of prompts/reminders required for the trial, and the level of prompts/reminders for a routine application outside of a RCT setting (discuss under item 21 -generalizability).
Does your paper address subitem 5-xi? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study On the day of their appointment, patients received login details for the video consultation from their physicians via text message or email.
subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential 6a) Completely defined pre-specified primary and secondary outcome measures, including how and when they were assessed 5-xii) Describe any co-interventions (incl. training/support) Describe any co-interventions (incl. training/support): Clearly state any interventions that are provided in addition to the targeted eHealth intervention, as ehealth intervention may not be designed as stand-alone intervention. This includes training sessions and support [1]. It may be necessary to distinguish between the level of training required for the trial, and the level of training for a routine application outside of a RCT setting (discuss under item 21 -generalizability. Does your paper address subitem 5-xii? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "All video consultations were performed directly between the physicians in the clinic and the patients, regardless of their location. No other medical providers, such as local caregivers or others, were involved. Patients received written instructions on how to conduct the video consultation, and no additional clinical staff were required to assist the patients." Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 6a? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "After the follow-up appointments, patients completed questionnaires in both the intervention and control group. These questionnaires included questions about the distance between the patients' homes and the clinic, the amount of time spent for the appointment (eg, travel and waiting time), and the potential need to be absent from work to attend the appointment." "The health economic analysis was based on data collected in the questionnaires and other official, external data. Study design was guided by recommendations for health economic analyses in the context of eHealth interventions, and the study examined non-healthcare costs associated with the use of telemedicine from a societal perspective [27,28]. The analysis proceeded in two steps. In a first step, economic effects of the societal perspective were examined from the patients' point of view. This involved, firstly, calculating and comparing three types of non-healthcare costs associated with medical appointments: (1)  essential 6a-i) Online questionnaires: describe if they were validated for online use and apply CHERRIES items to describe how the questionnaires were designed/deployed If outcomes were obtained through online questionnaires, describe if they were validated for online use and apply CHERRIES items to describe how the questionnaires were designed/deployed [9].
Does your paper address subitem 6a-i?

Copy and paste relevant sections from manuscript text
Your answer 6a-ii) Describe whether and how "use" (including intensity of use/dosage) was defined/measured/monitored Describe whether and how "use" (including intensity of use/dosage) was dePned/measured/monitored (logins, logPle analysis, etc.). Use/adoption metrics are important process outcomes that should be reported in any ehealth trial.

Does your paper address subitem 6a-ii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from manuscript text Your answer subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential 6b) Any changes to trial outcomes after the trial commenced, with reasons 7a) How sample size was determined NPT: When applicable, details of whether and how the clustering by care provides or centers was addressed 6a-iii) Describe whether, how, and when qualitative feedback from participants was obtained Describe whether, how, and when qualitative feedback from participants was obtained (e.g., through emails, feedback forms, interviews, focus groups).

Does your paper address subitem 6a-iii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from manuscript text Your answer Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 6b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Not applicable for the study.
subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential 7b) When applicable, explanation of any interim analyses and stopping guidelines 7a-i) Describe whether and how expected attrition was taken into account when calculating the sample size Describe whether and how expected attrition was taken into account when calculating the sample size.
Does your paper address subitem 7a-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from manuscript title (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Your answer Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 7b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Termination criteria were established for the individual study participants. (1) The occurrence of disease symptoms that required the physical presence of the patient in the clinic.
(2) Occurrence of technical problems that could not be solved in the short term.
(3) Voluntary termination of the study at any time by the study participant, without giving reasons and without any disadvantage for the further treatment. These criteria as well as unexcused absences from the consultation resulted in the recording of the study participants as dropouts/withdrawals. Patients were then treated regularly and independently of the study in the clinic. 8a) Method used to generate the random allocation sequence NPT: When applicable, how care providers were allocated to each trial group 8b) Type of randomisation; details of any restriction (such as blocking and block size) 9) Mechanism used to implement the random allocation sequence (such as sequentially numbered containers), describing any steps taken to conceal the sequence until interventions were assigned Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 8a? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Orthopedic and trauma surgery patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to an intervention group or a control group for a single follow-up appointment." Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 8b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Using block randomization with randomly varying block sizes (4, 6, and 8), 30 patients were assigned to a follow-up with telemedicine (intervention group) and 30 patients to a conventional F2F follow-up in the clinic (control group)." 10) Who generated the random allocation sequence, who enrolled participants, and who assigned participants to interventions 11a) If done, who was blinded after assignment to interventions (for example, participants, care providers, those assessing outcomes) and how NPT: Whether or not administering co-interventions were blinded to group assignment Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 9? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "The parallel-design randomization and assignment process was performed independently of the treating physicians by study staff using sealed envelopes." Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 10? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "The parallel-design randomization and assignment process was performed independently of the treating physicians by study staff using sealed envelopes." 1 2 3 4 5 essential subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential 11a-i) Specify who was blinded, and who wasn't Specify who was blinded, and who wasn't. Usually, in web-based trials it is not possible to blind the participants [1, 3] (this should be clearly acknowledged), but it may be possible to blind outcome assessors, those doing data analysis or those administering co-interventions (if any).
Does your paper address subitem 11a-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Blinding of physicians or patients was not possible.
11a-ii) Discuss e.g., whether participants knew which intervention was the "intervention of interest" and which one was the "comparator" Informed consent procedures (4a-ii) can create biases and certain expectationsdiscuss e.g., whether participants knew which intervention was the "intervention of interest" and which one was the "comparator".

11b) If relevant, description of the similarity of interventions
(this item is usually not relevant for ehealth trials as it refers to similarity of a placebo or sham intervention to a active medication/intervention) 12a) Statistical methods used to compare groups for primary and secondary outcomes NPT: When applicable, details of whether and how the clustering by care providers or centers was addressed Does your paper address subitem 11a-ii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Your answer Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 11b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Not applicable for the study.
subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential 12b) Methods for additional analyses, such as subgroup analyses and adjusted analyses Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 12a? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "The RCT data are presented as mean, median, standard deviation, or percentage. To compare the intervention and control groups, the Mann-Whitney U test was used for continuous variables and the Fisher exact test for categorical ones. Statistical significance was assumed at P=<.05." 12a-i) Imputation techniques to deal with attrition / missing values Imputation techniques to deal with attrition / missing values: Not all participants will use the intervention/comparator as intended and attrition is typically high in ehealth trials. Specify how participants who did not use the application or dropped out from the trial were treated in the statistical analysis (a complete case analysis is strongly discouraged, and simple imputation techniques such as LOCF may also be problematic [4]).
Does your paper address subitem 12a-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Data were analyzed based on intention-to-treat.

X26) REB/IRB Approval and Ethical Considerations [recommended as subheading under "Methods"] (not a CONSORT item)
subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 12b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Finally, a sensitivity analysis was performed to evaluate the robustness of the findings. For the patients' point of view in the societal perspective, this analysis studied the effect of differentiating between full-time and part-time employment when calculating production losses [32]. For the environmental impact of the societal perspective, the sensitivity analysis considered (1) a cost rate of the Federal Environment Agency for the calculation of the environmental costs of €680 per ton of carbon dioxide equivalent which gives equal weight to the welfare of present and future generations [34,35], and (2) 16 patients with a video consultation per week for the analysis of potential savings in emissions and environmental costs [33][34][35]. For the calculation of the environmental costs, both €195 and €680 per ton of carbon dioxide equivalent were considered [34,35]. "

X26-i) Comment on ethics committee approval
Does your paper address subitem X26-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Outline informed consent procedures e.g., if consent was obtained osine or online (how? Checkbox, etc.?), and what information was provided (see 4a-ii). See [6] for some items to be included in informed consent documents.
Does your paper address subitem X26-ii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Your answer

X26-iii) Safety and security procedures
Safety and security procedures, incl. privacy considerations, and any steps taken to reduce the likelihood or detection of harm (e.g., education and training, availability of a hotline) Does your paper address subitem X26-iii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Your answer RESULTS 13a) For each group, the numbers of participants who were randomly assigned, received intended treatment, and were analysed for the primary outcome NPT: The number of care providers or centers performing the intervention in each group and the number of patients treated by each care provider in each center 13b) For each group, losses and exclusions after randomisation, together with reasons Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 13a? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Of the 60 patients recruited (intervention group n = 30, control group n = 30), 4 patients in each of the groups withdrew from the study. Thus, data from a total of 52 patients could be considered for the health economic evaluation." Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 13b? (NOTE: Preferably, this is shown in a CONSORT flow diagram) * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Can be found in the CONSORT flow diagram in Appendix 1.
subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential 14a) Dates defining the periods of recruitment and follow-up 13b-i) Attrition diagram Strongly recommended: An attrition diagram (e.g., proportion of participants still logging in or using the intervention/comparator in each group plotted over time, similar to a survival curve) or other Pgures or tables demonstrating usage/dose/engagement.

Does your paper address subitem 13b-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript or cite the Pgure number if applicable (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Your answer Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 14a? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "The data used for the health economic analysis were obtained by a prospective RCT conducted at a single German university hospital (...) between September 2020 and April 2021." subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential 14b) Why the trial ended or was stopped (early)

15) A table showing baseline demographic and clinical characteristics for each group
NPT: When applicable, a description of care providers (case volume, qualiPcation, expertise, etc.) and centers (volume) in each group 14a-i) Indicate if critical "secular events" fell into the study period Indicate if critical "secular events" fell into the study period, e.g., signiPcant changes in Internet resources available or "changes in computer hardware or Internet delivery resources" Does your paper address subitem 14a-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Your answer Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 14b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Not applicable for the study.
subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential 16) For each group, number of participants (denominator) included in each analysis and whether the analysis was by original assigned groups Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 15? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Can be found in Table 2 "Demographic characteristics of patients".

15-i) Report demographics associated with digital divide issues
In ehealth trials it is particularly important to report demographics associated with digital divide issues, such as age, education, gender, social-economic status, computer/Internet/ehealth literacy of the participants, if known.
Does your paper address subitem 15-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Can be found in Table 2 "Demographic characteristics of patients".
subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential 16-i) Report multiple "denominators" and provide definitions Report multiple "denominators" and provide dePnitions: Report N's (and effect sizes) "across a range of study participation [and use] thresholds" [1], e.g., N exposed, N consented, N used more than x times, N used more than y weeks, N participants "used" the intervention/comparator at speciPc pre-dePned time points of interest (in absolute and relative numbers per group). Always clearly dePne "use" of the intervention.
Does your paper address subitem 16-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Can be found in "General Findings". Focus of the paper was the health economic analysis.

16-ii) Primary analysis should be intent-to-treat
Primary analysis should be intent-to-treat, secondary analyses could include comparing only "users", with the appropriate caveats that this is no longer a randomized sample (see 18-i).
17a) For each primary and secondary outcome, results for each group, and the estimated effect size and its precision (such as 95% confidence interval) subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential Does your paper address subitem 16-ii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Your answer Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 17a? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Can be found in "General Findings". Focus of the paper was the health economic analysis.

17a-i) Presentation of process outcomes such as metrics of use and intensity of use
In addition to primary/secondary (clinical) outcomes, the presentation of process outcomes such as metrics of use and intensity of use (dose, exposure) and their operational dePnitions is critical. This does not only refer to metrics of attrition (13-b) (often a binary variable), but also to more continuous exposure metrics such as "average session length". These must be accompanied by a technical description how a metric like a "session" is dePned (e.g., timeout after idle time) [1] (report under item 6a).
17b) For binary outcomes, presentation of both absolute and relative effect sizes is recommended 18) Results of any other analyses performed, including subgroup analyses and adjusted analyses, distinguishing pre-specified from exploratory Does your paper address subitem 17a-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Your answer Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 17b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Focus of the paper was the health economic analysis.
subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 18? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "In the subsequent sensitivity analysis, several adjustments were made. First, the cost calculation from the patients' point of view was modified to test the effect of alternative assumptions on the valuation of production losses. Assuming that all patients who were absent from work were in full-time employment (

18-i) Subgroup analysis of comparing only users
A subgroup analysis of comparing only users is not uncommon in ehealth trials, but if done, it must be stressed that this is a self-selected sample and no longer an unbiased sample from a randomized trial (see 16-iii).

19) All important harms or unintended effects in each group
(for speciPc guidance see CONSORT for harms) subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential Does your paper address subitem 18-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Your answer Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 19? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Not applicable for the study.

19-i) Include privacy breaches, technical problems
Include privacy breaches, technical problems. This does not only include physical "harm" to participants, but also incidents such as perceived or real privacy breaches [1], technical problems, and other unexpected/unintended incidents. "Unintended effects" also includes unintended positive effects [2].
subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential DISCUSSION Does your paper address subitem 19-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Your answer 19-ii) Include qualitative feedback from participants or observations from staff/researchers Include qualitative feedback from participants or observations from staff/researchers, if available, on strengths and shortcomings of the application, especially if they point to unintended/unexpected effects or uses. This includes (if available) reasons for why people did or did not use the application as intended by the developers.
Does your paper address subitem 19-ii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study essential 22-i) Restate study questions and summarize the answers suggested by the data, starting with primary outcomes and process outcomes (use) Restate study questions and summarize the answers suggested by the data, starting with primary outcomes and process outcomes (use).
Does your paper address subitem 22-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "This analysis of the economics of using telemedicine in follow-up care for orthopedic and trauma surgery patients in a German university hospital showed that implementing video consultations enabled time and cost savings for patients, savings in environmental costs, and reductions in emissions."

22-ii) Highlight unanswered new questions, suggest future research
Highlight unanswered new questions, suggest future research. Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Your answer

20-i) Typical limitations in ehealth trials
Typical limitations in ehealth trials: Participants in ehealth trials are rarely blinded. Ehealth trials often look at a multiplicity of outcomes, increasing risk for a Type I error.
Discuss biases due to non-use of the intervention/usability issues, biases through informed consent procedures, unexpected events.
Does your paper address subitem 20-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Finally, one of the inclusion criteria of the study was patients' ownership of a technical device (smartphone, computer, etc) that allowed them to make video calls. This requirement could lead to socioeconomic inequalities being exacerbated, because only patients with adequate financial means might be able to benefit from cost savings due to telemedicine [40]. This inequity could not be avoided within the study, but it is an important issue with practical relevance and should be taken into account by policymakers." 21) Generalisability (external validity, applicability) of the trial findings NPT: External validity of the trial Pndings according to the intervention, comparators, patients, and care providers or centers involved in the trial subitem not at all important Generalizability to other populations: In particular, discuss generalizability to a general Internet population, outside of a RCT setting, and general patient population, including applicability of the study results for other organizations Does your paper address subitem 21-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Your answer 21-ii) Discuss if there were elements in the RCT that would be different in a routine application setting Discuss if there were elements in the RCT that would be different in a routine application setting (e.g., prompts/reminders, more human involvement, training sessions or other co-interventions) and what impact the omission of these elements could have on use, adoption, or outcomes if the intervention is applied outside of a RCT setting.

OTHER INFORMATION
23) Registration number and name of trial registry 24) Where the full trial protocol can be accessed, if available Does your paper address subitem 21-ii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Your answer Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 23? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study essential Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 24? * Cite a Multimedia Appendix, other reference, or copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study The full trial protocol can be requested from the corresponding author.
Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 25? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study The research did not receive funding from an external body.

X27-i) State the relation of the study team towards the system being evaluated
In addition to the usual declaration of interests (Pnancial or otherwise), also state the relation of the study team towards the system being evaluated, i.e., state if the authors/evaluators are distinct from or identical with the developers/sponsors of the intervention.
About the CONSORT EHEALTH checklist yes, major changes yes, minor changes no Does your paper address subitem X27-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briety explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study

Your answer
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Any other comments or questions on CONSORT EHEALTH
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