Comparing Outcomes of Ambulatory Care During the Pandemic: In-person vs. Telehealth

The results of a soon to be released major scientific study documenting the association of telehealth with outcomes of care   will be presented. This research was partially supported by the ATA. The study followed a very large cohort of 40.7 million commercially insured adults across the US during the second half of 2021.  Separately, for acute and chronic conditions, patterns of follow up care for persons with an initial telehealth visit were compared to those receiving only in-person care.  Comparative rates of ED use and hospitalization were documented.  Many factors associated with higher or lower use of telehealth services were identified.  The presentation discusses the study’s implications for the future of telehealth both during the remainder of the pandemic and thereafter.