Association between telehealth use in oncology and downstream utilization at a large academic health system.

ABSTRACT: BackgroundWhile telemedicine has been beneficial in oncology by reducing infectious exposure and improving access for patients with poor functional status, it also has intrinsic limitations, including the inability to perform a physical exam, which could lead to increased downstream utilization in this population at high risk of medical decompensation. We conducted a retrospective cohort study investigating the relationship between telemedicine use in oncology and subsequent outpatient oncology encounters, emergency department (ED) visits, and hospitalizations.MethodsWe included outpatient oncology encounters, including telemedicine and in-person visits, occurring between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2022 at a large academic health system. Unadjusted descriptive statistics and multiple l

SUBMITTER: Kakani P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12009617 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature