Telehealth Consultations Might Improve Some Patient Outcomes

Patient outcomes generally improved in some areas of care when clinicians consulted other providers remotely for additional medical expertise, known as telehealth, according to an AHRQ-funded report. The authors found that when telehealth consultation was used, patients were more likely to survive in intensive care, spent less time in the emergency room waiting for a specialist and were more likely to survive a heart attack. Evidence was not as strong for the impact of telehealth consultations on length of hospitalizations and inpatient costs; outcomes and number of patient transfers in emergency care; and costs and number of patient visits in outpatient care. The authors noted that more research is needed on consultation costs, outcomes data and harms. Access the report.