Telehealth effective during pandemic, study says

Handling routine health concerns by phone or video is a safe and effective option, according to an analysis of Kaiser Permanente Northern California telehealth visits occurring early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Published in January in The American Journal of Managed Care, the study found in-person visits followed video and phone visits in only 11.8% and 12.5% of cases, respectively. Patients went to the emergency department after a video visit in 1.2% of cases and after 1.5% of phone visits. Separately, an Association of State and Territorial Health Officials blog describes how telehealth has improved access to care for rural residents, particularly when policies allow patients to make an appointment with providers who practice in other states. (Healthcare Purchasing News article, 2/21/23)