Assistance With Connecting to Virtual Visits Can Help Close Care Gaps

mHealth Intelligence: Assistance With Connecting to Virtual Visits Can Help Close Care Gaps

According to a study conducted by Kaiser Permanente, having medical assistants work with patients to connect to video visits could help narrow the digital divide. Researchers examined data on telehealth visits from Oct. 1 through Oct. 31, 2020 and compared video visits in medical offices that used virtual rooming more often with those that did not. Of the 136,699 video visits studied, 83.6 percent involved a successful connection to the video visit. The use of virtual rooming in medical offices varied, ranging from 4.6 percent to 97.2 percent. The researchers noted that the use of a medical assistant seemed to reduce the technology gap.