All Telemedicine Services Not Created Equal

A recent study has found varying quality in urgent care by commercial telehealth companies.

In nearly 600 virtual visits to leading commercial telehealth services, “patients” who were trained by researchers presented symptoms of six common acute illnesses. According to the results of the study, published by JAMA Internal Medicine, the quality of care provided in each of these situations varied greatly between each of the eight companies.

Fierce Health IT reports the ailments presented included ankle pain, potential strep, sore throat, sinus infection, low back pain, and urinary tract infections. The companies tested were Ameridoc, Amwell, Consult a Doctor, Doctor on Demand, MDAligne, MDLIVE, MeMD, and NowClinic.

Researchers found one in four patients got an incorrect or no diagnosis from the virtual visits. They also noted only 52 percent to 82 percent of the time virtual doctors got complete histories and did thorough exams. “One of the more surprising findings of the study was the universally low rate of testing when it was needed,” said lead researcher Dr. Adam Schoenfeld, of the University of California, San Francisco. For the full article click here 

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