The evidence-base for telehealth is strong, especially for the remote management of chronic health conditions.4 Systematic reviews confirm that telehealth improves health outcomes, utilization, and cost of care for a host of chronic diseases, including heart failure, diabetes, depression, obesity, asthma, and mental health conditions.1-4 For nonurgent complaints in primary care settings, diagnostic accuracy and the likelihood of diagnostic error appear to be roughly comparable in telediagnosis versus face-to-face encounters.5,6
For more critical issues, the more pressing matter is not the accuracy of diagnosis, but rather the appropriateness of the triage advice, which can include stay home, schedule a visit, go to the emergency department, or call 911. Reviews suggest telehealth management of stroke and cardiovascular conditions improve care,7 but the quality of care as evidenced by adherence to evidence-based practice guidelines varies greatly across telehealth providers.8
