Study: Telemedicine just as good for treating chronic illnesses

A recent study finds that replacing or augmenting in-person healthcare visits with telemedicine care yielded similar or better outcomes in certain scenarios.

According to a review published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers examined 38 randomized controlled trials from 2013 to 2021 and found that telemedicine visits resulted in similar health outcomes, healthcare use, patient satisfaction, and quality of life compared with typical in-person visits. However, the researchers noted that the trials examined were limited to a handful of conditions, such as chronic pain, diabetes, heart problems, neurological disorders, and respiratory illnesses.     

The researchers noted that none of the studies they reviewed evaluated the use of telemedicine for the diagnosis or prevention of disease. Also, no studies that focused on mental health, substance use disorders, maternal care, and weight management were reviewed.

Source: U.S. News & World Report