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Direct-To-Consumer Telemedicine Visits For Acute Respiratory Infections Linked To More Downstream Visits.
Li, Kathleen Yinran; Zhu, Ziwei; Ng, Sophia; Ellimoottil, Chad.
  • Li KY; Kathleen Yinran Li (likathle@med.umich.edu) is an adjunct clinical lecturer in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She is also a research fellow and instructor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, in New York, New Yo
  • Zhu Z; Ziwei Zhu is a statistician intermediate in the Department of Urology at the University of Michigan.
  • Ng S; Sophia Ng is a statistician senior in the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation at the University of Michigan.
  • Ellimoottil C; Chad Ellimoottil is an assistant professor of urology and principal investigator of the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation's Telehealth Research Incubator, all at the University of Michigan.
Health Aff (Millwood) ; 40(4): 596-602, 2021 04.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1170009
ABSTRACT
Use of direct-to-consumer telemedicine-on-demand virtual care for minor medical issues-is growing rapidly. Although it may yield immediate savings by diverting health care from higher-cost settings, these savings could be countered if direct-to-consumer telemedicine increases follow-up care and, therefore, episode costs. Comparing downstream care utilization data from a large, commercial payer for the period 2016-19, we found that patients with initial visits for acute respiratory infection were more likely to obtain follow-up care within seven days after direct-to-consumer telemedicine visits (10.3 percent) than after in-person visits (5.9 percent). In both settings approximately 90 percent of patients did not obtain additional care. The telemedicine cohort had fewer (0.5 percent versus 0.6 percent) emergency department visits-a small but statistically significant difference-but more subsequent office, urgent care, and telemedicine visits. Our findings suggest that potential savings from shifting initial care to a direct-to-consumer telemedicine setting should be balanced against the potential for higher spending on downstream care.
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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Respiratory Tract Infections / Telemedicine Type of study: Cohort study / Observational study / Prognostic study Limits: Humans Language: English Journal: Health Aff (Millwood) Year: 2021 Document Type: Article

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Respiratory Tract Infections / Telemedicine Type of study: Cohort study / Observational study / Prognostic study Limits: Humans Language: English Journal: Health Aff (Millwood) Year: 2021 Document Type: Article