Telehealth diagnoses match those of face-to-face doctor visits most of the time, study suggests
However, the accuracy varies somewhat according to the type of medical condition
With the increase in the use of telehealth, a new study offers some reassurance: Diagnoses made via video are usually on the money.
Mayo Clinic researchers in the US found that of preliminary diagnoses made during video appointments at their centres, 87% were later confirmed during in-person visits.
Accuracy varied somewhat according to the type of medical condition, with the researchers stressing some conditions were tough to pinpoint without a physical exam, a test or imaging.
On the other hand, video visits worked very well for mental health diagnoses which were confirmed 96% of the time at follow-up in-person visits. They also worked well in specialties like allergy and immunology, orthopaedics and urology.
