In the summary paper The Effectiveness of Outpatient Telehealth Consultations, here’s what some of the consultation evidence suggests:
- For outcome, there is strong evidence it may be helpful in psychiatry and wound care.
- There is moderate evidence it’s beneficial for diabetes mellitus, arthritis, hypertension, and chronic pain.
- There is some patient benefit for access.
- Patient satisfaction was neutral.
- Provider satisfaction was neutral to slightly negative.
When I look at telemedicine as a whole, I suspect that there will be niches where it may be highly valuable, but I don’t think there is any overwhelming evidence it will broadly improve care.
Watch this field carefully, but proceed with caution.