Telehealth Might Be Best as a Supplement to Office Visits, Not a Replacement

Tufts News: Telehealth Might Be Best as a Supplement to Office Visits, Not a Replacement

A new study by Tufts researchers found that, for many older and chronically ill patients, telehealth appointments may be most effective when they augment in-person health care visits rather than fully replacing them. Patients of color disproportionately suffer from chronic kidney disease and may contend with challenges associated with at-home care more frequently, such as inadequate space for home-dialysis and limited broadband access to support video-telehealth visits. Researchers stressed the importance of increasing the availability of interpreters during virtual visits and a more diverse workforce throughout the medical training pipeline, including nurses and physician assistants.