Research: Telehealth showed higher performance than in-person care

Editor’s Note

A new research study, titled “Comparison of Quality Performance Measures for Patients Receiving In-Person vs Telemedicine Primary Care in a Large Integrated Health System” and published by JAMA Network on September 26, showed that telehealth performed better than in-person services in 11 out of 16 measurements for care, HealthLeaders October 6 reports.

This study, conducted by researchers at the Robert Graham Center and Wellspan Health, examined over 526,000 patients receiving outpatient services between 2020 and 2021 at some 200 Wellspan Health sites. The research was collected using Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) measurements.

Findings showed that in-person care performed better for all medication-based measures, but telehealth showed higher performance in testing and counselling measures, such as for vaccinations, chronic disease testing, and cancer and depression screenings.

According to the lead researchers, the results do not mean that health systems should only focus on virtual care, but rather that they should offer telehealth as an option for those who cannot access in-person care. “The clinical relevance of these findings is perhaps more meaningful at the population health level for evaluating the outcomes of adding telemedicine as a care venue," they noted, adding that a blended approach is likely the most realistic for healthcare consumers.