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
HealthDay News
Telehealth

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.