The value of virtual care: 5 things to know

Becker's Healthcare November 8, 2024
Giles Bruce

Telehealth doesn’t increase the prevalence of low-value care, a new study found.

Here are five things to know from the research published Nov. 7 in JAMA Network Open:

1. The researchers from Ann Arbor-based University of Michigan looked at 577,928 fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries at 252 Michigan primary care practices between 2019 and 2022.

2. The study analyzed the use of eight medically unnecessary screenings, such as blood tests for prostate cancer risk in men over 75 years old, CT scans for patients with back pain or uncomplicated sinus infections, and colon cancer screening for people over 85. The researchers found no association between high-telehealth practices and low-value care.

3. Telehealth critics have previously expressed concerns that when clinicians see patients...

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