A Retrospective Analysis of Clinical Utilization Between Patients Who Used Telemedicine and Office Visits in Outpatient Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To describe the demographic characteristics of patients who used telemedicine and office visits in physical medicine and rehabilitation during the COVID-19 pandemic and to quantify differences in clinical utilization between groups. Clinical utilization was defined as emergency department, urgent care, and hospital visits.

Design

This was a retrospective cohort study of 1096 patients who used telemedicine and 1171 patients who used office visits from April to June 2020 in the outpatient physical medicine and rehabilitation clinics at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center for musculoskeletal-related complaints.

Results

The telemedicine groups contained proportionally more people of color and higher comorbidities than the office visit groups. Patients who we

SUBMITTER: Gilmer G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9464794 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature