Observational studyJournal of general internal medicine2024
Healthcare Utilization Differences Among Primary Care Patients Using Telemedicine in the Veterans Health Administration: a Retrospective Cohort Study.
Observational study in Journal of general internal medicine, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- The telehealth engagement measure: a proportions-based measure of care delivered via video and phone for research, clinical, and policy assessments.JAMIA open · 2026Article
- Willingness for video visits for non-emergent health issues, mental health, or specialty visits.Frontiers in digital health · 2026Article
- Identifying Demographic Trends in the Use of Audio-Video and Audio-Only Telehealth by Arizona Medicaid Beneficiaries Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic.Journal of general internal medicine · 2025Article
- Downstream Emergency Department and Hospital Utilization Comparably Low Following In-Person Versus Telemedicine Primary Care for High-Risk Conditions.Journal of general internal medicine · 2024Observational
- Realizing Virtual Care in VA: Supporting the Healthcare System's Journey Towards Enhanced Access, Engagement, and Outcomes.Journal of general internal medicine · 2024Article
- Trust: How It Affects the Use of Telemedicine in Improving Access to Assistive Technology to Enhance Healthcare Services.Risk management and healthcare policy · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic encouraged telemedicine expansion. Research regarding follow-up healthcare utilization and primary care (PC) telemedicine is lacking.
objectiveTo evaluate whether healthcare utilization differed across PC populations using telemedicine.
designRetrospective observational cohort study using administrative data from veterans with minimally one PC visit before the COVID-19 pandemic (March 1, 2019-February 28, 2020) and after in-person restrictions were lifted (October 1, 2020-September 30, 2021).
participantsAll veterans receiving VHA PC services during study period. MAIN MEASURES: Veterans' exposure to telemedicine was categorized as (1) in-person only, (2) telephone telemedicine (≥ 1 telephone visit with or without in-person visits), or (3) video telemedicine (≥ 1 video visit with or without telephone and/or in-person visits). Healthcare utilization 7 days after index PC visit were compared. Generalized estimating equations estimated odds ratios for telephone or video telemedicine versus in-person only use adjusted for patient characteristics (e.g., age, gender, race, residential rurality, ethnicity), area deprivation index, comorbidity risk, and intermediate PC visits within the follow-up window. KEY
resultsOver the 2-year study, 3.4 million veterans had 12.9 million PC visits, where 1.7 million (50.7%), 1.0 million (30.3%), and 649,936 (19.0%) veterans were categorized as in-person only, telephone telemedicine, or video telemedicine. Compared to in-person only users, video telemedicine users experienced higher rates per 1000 patients of emergent care (15.1 vs 11.2; p < 0.001) and inpatient admissions (4.2 vs 3.3; p < 0.001). In adjusted analyses, video versus in-person only users experienced greater odds of emergent care (OR [95% CI]:1.18 [1.16, 1.19]) inpatient (OR [95% CI]: 1.29 [1.25, 1.32]), and ambulatory care sensitive condition admission (OR [95% CI]: 1.30 [1.27, 1.34]).
conclusionsTelemedicine potentially in combination with in-person care was associated with higher follow-up healthcare utilization rates compared to in-person only PC. Factors contributing to utilization differences between groups need further evaluation.
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