News: Telehealth not the best answer for ED follow-up care, study finds

Telehealth isn’t always an equal or better option than in-person care and in some cases can lead to more issues, according to a UCLA study published in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA). The study compared follow-up care for patients who visited the emergency department and found those using telehealth were more likely to seek in-person care and be re-hospitalized than those who had in-person follow-up visits.

The data was pulled from almost 17,000 emergency department (ED) encounters from about 13,000 patients at two hospitals in California. Data showed that of those who had in-person post-discharge visits, 16% returned to the ED in 30 days and 4% re-hospitalized. Meanwhile, 18% of those using telehealth for a follow-up visit returned to the ED and 5% were re-hospitalized, HealthLeaders reported.

“A potential mechanism to explain increased healthcare utilization after telehealth visits is the inherent limitation in the ability of clinicians to examine patients, which may compel clinicians to have a lower threshold for referring patients back to the ED for an in-person evaluation if they have any ongoing symptoms,” the study explained. But considering ED visits requiring follow-up care tend to involve acute concerns like chest pain, abdominal pain, and shortness of breath, it makes sense that an in-person exam ends up being necessary.

The researchers noted that studies have seen positive results with telehealth for the treatment of people living with chronic conditions, but mixed results in acute care settings. These findings do not come as a surprise but do show further need to compare these two treatment modes to determine when and where telehealth is appropriate.

Editor’s note: To read HealthLeader’s coverage of this story, click here. To access the JAMA study, click here.