In a new study published in JAMA Network Open, telemedicine scored higher on 13 of 16 Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) measures, suggesting that telemedicine delivers similar or better quality care than in-person visits.
For the study, researchers analyzed data from 526,874 patients across 200 outpatient care sites in Pennsylvania and Maryland who had either telehealth visits or in-person visits between March 1, 2020, and Nov. 30, 2021.
Of the patients included in the study, 409,732 only had in-person visits, and 117,142 were exposed to telemedicine, The Advisory Board reports.
Researchers analyzed the care quality performance of both patient groups for 16 HEDIS measures, which were selected across five domains of primary care, including cardiovascular, diabetes, prevention and wellness, behavioral health, and pulmonary.
In 13 of the 16 medication, testing, and counseling-based measures, patients who were exposed to telemedicine reported similar or significantly better quality performance than those who were only exposed to in-person visits. Read more.
