Ann Tresa Sebastian, Reza Daryabeygi-Khotbehsara, Paul Jansons, Ralph Maddison
{"title":"Co-designing DESI-Heart: Conversational agent based self-care intervention for people with cardiovascular disease.","authors":"Ann Tresa Sebastian, Reza Daryabeygi-Khotbehsara, Paul Jansons, Ralph Maddison","doi":"10.1177/1357633X261424170","DOIUrl":"10.1177/1357633X261424170","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BackgroundCardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and in Australia. Although self-care is essential for CVD management, many individuals face barriers such as complex treatment regimens, limited health literacy, and lack of culturally appropriate support. Conversational agents (CAs) offer a promising solution by providing AI-driven, voice-based support that enables human-like interaction. However, most existing CAs primarily target mainstream populations, overlooking the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse communities. This study aimed to co-design and develop Diaspora Engaged Self-care Intervention (DESI-Heart), a culturally tailored CA to support self-care among individuals with CVDs from the Indian diaspora in Australia.MethodsA participatory co-design study was conducted with members of the Indian diaspora in Australia living with Three online workshops were conducted using established design methods, including the 'think-aloud' approach, 'bento-box reflections', and the 'MoSCoW' method, to capture user preferences and inform culturally responsive intervention features. Workshop recordings were transcribed and thematically analysed using NVivo.ResultsOverall, the study included 15 individuals (aged ≥18 years) and identified six themes identified through the co-design process, which informed the design and key features of the DESI-Heart program. The themes included: (1) cultural context of self-care and unique ideas for the DESI-Heart program, (2) medication management features, (3) culturally appropriate dietary support, (4) physical activity support, (5) mental wellbeing support, and (6) user experience and implementation considerations.ConclusionsThis study provided insights into the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse populations, helping address cultural and linguistic barriers and inform the development and feasibility testing of the DESI-Heart program.</p>","PeriodicalId":50024,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare","volume":" ","pages":"699-714"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147349796","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Christian J Barton, Marcella Pazzinatto, Zuzana Perraton, Kay M Crossley, Trevor Russell, Karen Dundules, Danilo De Oliveira Silva, Joanne L Kemp
{"title":"Telehealth-delivered group-based exercise therapy and education for knee osteoarthritis: A non-inferiority randomised clinical trial disrupted by COVID-19.","authors":"Christian J Barton, Marcella Pazzinatto, Zuzana Perraton, Kay M Crossley, Trevor Russell, Karen Dundules, Danilo De Oliveira Silva, Joanne L Kemp","doi":"10.1177/1357633X251406691","DOIUrl":"10.1177/1357633X251406691","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>ObjectiveInability to attend in-person care is a common barrier to accessing exercise therapy and education programs for knee osteoarthritis. The primary aim of this randomised clinical trial (RCT) was to determine if telehealth was non-inferior to 'in-person' delivery of a group-based exercise therapy and education program (GLA:D<sup>®</sup>) for knee-related burden at 3 (primary timepoint), 12 and 24 months in people with knee osteoarthritis.DesignThis pre-registered (ACTRN12619000235101) two-arm (in-person v telehealth) non-inferiority limited-disclosure RCT commenced in April 2019, with a planned sample of 110. Knee-related burden was evaluated at baseline, 3- (primary timepoint), 12- and 24-month following intervention commencement by summating four Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score subscales (KOOS<sub>4</sub>: pain, symptoms, activities of daily living, quality of life [QoL]). Secondary outcomes included health-related QoL, pain severity, physical activity, functional performance, patient satisfaction and global rating of change.ResultsRecruitment ceased in March 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions. Forty-four participants enrolled at baseline (22 per group). Forty-three (98%), 40 (91%) and 29 (66%) participants provided 3-, 12- and 24-month follow-up data, respectively. The lower limit of the 95% confidence interval (CI) was above the non-inferiority threshold (i.e. -10 points) for KOOS<sub>4</sub> at 3 (mean difference, 95%CI = 6, -2 to 15) and 12 months (0, -9 to 9). Compared to in-person, mean reduction in worst pain was greater for telehealth delivery at 3 months (16.5, 95%CI 0.8 to 32.2). No other secondary outcomes were different between groups.ConclusionKnee-related burden outcomes following telehealth-delivered group-based exercise therapy and education in people with knee osteoarthritis might not be different to in-person delivery.</p>","PeriodicalId":50024,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare","volume":" ","pages":"679-691"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145935990","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Donglan S Zhang, Laure Millet, Brandon K Bellows, Sarah Lee, Devin Mann
{"title":"Program cost and return on investment analysis of remote patient monitoring for hypertension management in the cardiology department of a large healthcare system.","authors":"Donglan S Zhang, Laure Millet, Brandon K Bellows, Sarah Lee, Devin Mann","doi":"10.1177/1357633X251403059","DOIUrl":"10.1177/1357633X251403059","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>ObjectivesRemote patient monitoring (RPM), combining home blood pressure measurements with telehealth services, effectively manages hypertension. Successful implementation of RPM programs at scale requires understanding program costs and financial sustainability. We evaluated the financial performance of an RPM program.MethodsConducted from March to June 2024 in the Cardiology Division at New York University Langone Health, the study used field observation, surveys, and micro-costing methods. A costing tool was developed to quantify program costs in 2024 US dollars, including personnel, equipment, and supplies. RPM-related services reimbursement rates were estimated using Medicare billing information. The return-on-investment (ROI) ratio was calculated by dividing net return (profit) by the RPM program costs. Sensitivity analyses assessed the impact of varying parameters on the ROI of RPM.ResultsThe average RPM program cost was estimated at $330 per patient (range: $208-$452). Major expenses included data review by staff ($172 per patient), blood pressure devices ($48 per patient), and phone communications ($36 per patient). ROI varied based on patient compliance with home blood pressure monitoring (≥16 days per month), with an average estimate of 22.2% (range: -11.1%-93.3%) per patient at a 55% compliance rate. The ROI was most sensitive to changes in data-review costs, insurance reimbursement rates, patient compliance, device setup, and communication costs.ConclusionsThe RPM program achieved a positive ROI from the perspective of a clinical division in a large healthcare system. Successful implementation and financial sustainability of RPM require efforts to reduce human resource costs and enhance patient engagement.</p>","PeriodicalId":50024,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare","volume":" ","pages":"669-678"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13016703/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145999675","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Telemedicine versus in-person primary care visits for upper respiratory infections: Comparison of antibiotic prescribing.","authors":"Lindsey Garrett, Zhuoyang Zhang, Julia Felrice, Julianne Gent, Ilana Graetz, Ambar Kulshreshtha","doi":"10.1177/1357633X261420387","DOIUrl":"10.1177/1357633X261420387","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>IntroductionAntibiotic resistance is a growing public health threat, resulting in challenges in effectively treating bacterial infections. Primary care providers account for the majority of antibiotic prescriptions, highlighting their critical role in antimicrobial stewardship. As telemedicine becomes more prevalent in primary care, there is limited data on how this shift has influenced antibiotic prescribing behavior. Our objective was to examine differences in antibiotic prescription rates for upper respiratory infections (URIs) between in-person and telemedicine appointments in a large primary care health system.MethodsIn this retrospective cohort study, we included patients 18 years and older treated in primary care clinics in the Greater Atlanta area from May 2020 to September 2023. Eligible encounters were billed with a diagnostic code related to URI. The main measures included patient demographics, insurance status, and visit modality. A multivariable logistic regression model evaluated differences in antibiotic prescriptions by visit type.ResultsThere were 33,008 (66%) in-person visits and 16,965 (33.9%) telemedicine visits, totaling 49,973 encounters. The average age of patients was 56.8 (SD 17.5) years, 67.1% patients were female, and 37.6% were Black. There were no significant differences in antibiotic prescribing between telemedicine and in-person appointments (adjusted odds ratio 1.00, 95% CI 0.14-4.86, <i>P</i> > 0.5).DiscussionRates of antibiotic prescribing did not differ significantly between in-person and telemedicine primary care visits for URI. As a healthcare quality indicator, this result provides evidence that in-person and telemedicine appointments are comparable modalities of patient care.</p>","PeriodicalId":50024,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare","volume":" ","pages":"692-698"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146158997","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kaylie Toll, Zaheerah Haywood, Justin Yeung, Danika Jurat, Stephen Andrew, Aled Williams, Joanna C Moullin, Suzanne Robinson
{"title":"Place-based provider perspectives of rural provider-to-provider telehealth in country Western Australia: A qualitative study.","authors":"Kaylie Toll, Zaheerah Haywood, Justin Yeung, Danika Jurat, Stephen Andrew, Aled Williams, Joanna C Moullin, Suzanne Robinson","doi":"10.1177/1357633X261480531","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1357633X261480531","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>IntroductionRural provider-to-provider telehealth (RPPT) is an emerging model of care that uses digital technologies to support collaborative patient care between place-based and virtual providers. Since 2012, the WA Country Health Service Command Centre has delivered an RPPT model of care across country Western Australia. This study explored the contextual factors influencing the implementation and use of RPPT services.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 nurses, doctors and midwives from across country WA. Interviews were guided by the Practical Implementation Sustainability Model (PRISM) framework. Data were analysed independently by two researchers using reflexive thematic analysis to generate inductive insights, which were then mapped to PRISM domains.ResultsTwelve themes were identified and mapped to PRISM domains, reflecting key contextual influences on RPPT implementation. Themes identified service strengths, interpersonal dynamics, shifting paradigms, perceived patient perspectives, local capacity and capability, organisational systems and practice, situational awareness, patient characteristics, implementation and infrastructure, gaps and growth, external service integration and resourcing.ConclusionThis study identified a range of contextual factors influencing RPPT implementation and use in country WA. Beyond established factors such as resource availability and access to knowledge, the findings highlight the importance of complex system integration, situational awareness, communication and shared understanding and shifting roles and responsibilities. These findings contribute to a broader understanding of RPPT implementation and provide insights for optimising telehealth-enabled models of care in geographically dispersed health systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":50024,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare","volume":" ","pages":"1357633X261480531"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148876614","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"AI-prompted health-service seeking: The potential role of telehealth.","authors":"Xiaohua Li, Dong Yang","doi":"10.1177/1357633X261481047","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1357633X261481047","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":50024,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare","volume":" ","pages":"1357633X261481047"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148876556","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Melanie Powis, Lisa Barbera, Matthew Cheung, Randy Conrod, Mary DeVera, Annemarie Edwards, Sophia Esmail, Helen McTaggart-Cowan, Robert Olson, Stuart Peacock, Ambreen Sayani, Simron Singh, Anum Ali, Jackelyn Salmini, Saidah Hack, Monika K Krzyzanowska
{"title":"Development of a consensus-derived comprehensive virtual care evaluation framework in oncology.","authors":"Melanie Powis, Lisa Barbera, Matthew Cheung, Randy Conrod, Mary DeVera, Annemarie Edwards, Sophia Esmail, Helen McTaggart-Cowan, Robert Olson, Stuart Peacock, Ambreen Sayani, Simron Singh, Anum Ali, Jackelyn Salmini, Saidah Hack, Monika K Krzyzanowska","doi":"10.1177/1357633X261469083","DOIUrl":"10.1177/1357633X261469083","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>IntroductionWhile there has been a rapid uptake of virtual care in recent years, understanding of its impact on the quality of cancer care remains fragmented due to the heterogeneity of evaluation measures used to date and the lack of a framework to guide the work. We aimed to develop a comprehensive evaluation framework for virtual care in routine oncology practice.MethodsWe conducted separate nominal consensus groups with key informants (knowledge users, policy makers, clinicians, patients, and caregivers) to generate and prioritize lists of potential virtual cancer care measures. To identify measures from the health equity perspective, we undertook a structured consultation with an established health equity expert patient and caregiver panel. Findings were thematically grouped through a cognitive mapping exercise using a virtual whiteboard. Virtual cancer care-specific initial construct definitions were derived first from a systematic review of the literature, then refined through iterative consensus discussions and voting.ResultsMeasurement priorities varied by key informant group, underscoring the need to consider the impacts of virtual cancer care from multiple key informant perspectives. The final framework included 17 constructs with definitions and operationalization considerations distributed across five domains: implementation, service, and client outcomes, with equity and cost as separate, overarching domains.DiscussionOur findings highlight the need to consider the impacts of virtual care from multiple key informant perspectives. Our final, comprehensive virtual cancer care evaluation framework can help guide and standardize future evaluations to improve comparability, inform policy, and guide practice optimization.</p>","PeriodicalId":50024,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare","volume":" ","pages":"1357633X261469083"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148702505","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Enhancing client-centered care with the ENBORTH-Telerehabilitation program in chronic neck and back pain: A randomized controlled trial.","authors":"Turan Emre Özdemir, Özgür Kaya, Berkan Torpil","doi":"10.1177/1357633X261474288","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1357633X261474288","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>IntroductionThis study aimed to evaluate the additional effects of the ENBORTH-TR intervention on pain, kinesiophobia, occupational performance, and satisfaction in individuals with neck and/or back pain (NBP).MethodA total of 136 participants were included in the study. The participants were divided into two groups: the intervention group (n = 67) and the control group (n = 69). A client-centered (CC) intervention was administered to both groups for 4 weeks (3 sessions per week). During this period, the intervention group also received the ENBORTH-TR intervention, which included basic pain education, ergonomic and environmental adaptations, as well as sleep and psychosocial management. All interventions in the study were delivered via telerehabilitation. Occupational performance (Canadian Occupational Performance Measure) and kinesiophobia (Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale) were defined as primary outcomes. Pain intensity (Visual Analog Scale-assessed during activity, rest, and sleep) was used as a secondary outcome.ResultsFollowing the intervention, the intervention group showed statistically significant improvement in all parameters compared to the control group (<i>p</i> < 0.05). The addition of the ENBORTH-TR intervention had a high effect on the primary outcome of occupational performance and satisfaction (η<sup>2</sup>=0.196-0.303; 95% CI for performance:-1.84 to -0.22; satisfaction: -1.62 to -2.36) and a moderate effect on kinesiophobia scores (η<sup>2</sup>=0.061-0.136; 95% CI: 1.60 to 8.79). Regarding the secondary outcomes, significant reductions were observed in pain intensity, particularly during activity (95% CI: 0.57 to 1.75).DiscussionThe integration of ENBORTH-TR into standard CC treatment provides significant short-term additional benefits in terms of improving occupational performance and reducing kinesiophobia in patients with NBP.</p>","PeriodicalId":50024,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare","volume":" ","pages":"1357633X261474288"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148680881","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Seyedehyasmin Moghaddamziabari, Sarah C Haynes, Patrick S Romano, Guibo Xing, Tonya P Khounani, Daniel Stein, Daniel W Black, James P Marcin
{"title":"Healthcare utilization and economic analysis of an internal on-demand telehealth service for upper respiratory infections.","authors":"Seyedehyasmin Moghaddamziabari, Sarah C Haynes, Patrick S Romano, Guibo Xing, Tonya P Khounani, Daniel Stein, Daniel W Black, James P Marcin","doi":"10.1177/1357633X261474287","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1357633X261474287","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>IntroductionOn-demand telehealth services are available to improve access and convenience of care, with some expectation that these visits may replace scheduled video visits and in-person visits. As on-demand telehealth becomes integrated into healthcare delivery models, there is a need to evaluate its impact on access, utilization, and charges.ObjectiveThis study evaluates an integrated, on-demand telehealth service (Express-Care) at an academic health center and how its availability and adoption influenced healthcare utilization and charges for patients seeking care for upper respiratory tract infections (URIs).MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted using electronic health record data from UC Davis Health between July 2018 and October 2024. A cohort of patients using Express-Care for URI was compared to patients receiving URI care via other modalities using a 1:2 propensity score match on sex, age, race/ethnicity, insurance, California Healthy Place Index, comorbidities, and household income. Patients who did not have URI visits both before and after the launch of Express-Care were excluded.ResultsAmong the 26,605 patients treated for URI, Express-Care users were more likely to be female (66.9% vs. 61.9%, <i>p</i> < 0.001) and commercially insured (84.6% vs. 78.5%, <i>p</i> < 0.001) than nonusers. In the matched patient cohort, Express-Care use replaced scheduled video visits and in-person visits 70% of the time, while 30.0% represented new utilization. Follow-up rates were higher after Express-Care visits than after compared to non-Express-Care visits (5.1% vs. 1.6%, <i>p</i> < 0.0001). Adjusted difference in mean charges was USD190 lower for Express-Care episodes than for non-Express-Care episodes (<i>p</i> < 0.0001).DiscussionAccess to Express-Care resulted in 42% more visits for URIs among users than among matched nonusers. Despite the increased visit frequency and follow-up rates for URIs, Express-Care was associated with lower mean healthcare charges.</p>","PeriodicalId":50024,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare","volume":" ","pages":"1357633X261474287"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148680903","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Karrie F Downing, Sherry L Farr, Matthew E Oster, Bradley S Marino, Charles E Rose, Emily O Olsen
{"title":"Congenital heart defect (CHD)-related telehealth and other outpatient utilization among Medicaid and private insurance beneficiaries: 2018-2023.","authors":"Karrie F Downing, Sherry L Farr, Matthew E Oster, Bradley S Marino, Charles E Rose, Emily O Olsen","doi":"10.1177/1357633X261474306","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1357633X261474306","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>IntroductionAccessing specialty cardiac care presents challenges for U.S. individuals with congenital heart defects (CHD), despite recommendations for regular cardiac follow-up. Additionally, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and telehealth expansion on CHD-related health care is not well-understood. Therefore, our objective was to evaluate changes in CHD-related telehealth and other outpatient utilization in the Medicaid population from 2018 to 2022 and a privately-insured population from 2018 to 2023.MethodsUsing claims from national Medicaid (2018-2022) and private insurance (2018-2023) databases, we calculated the number of CHD-related outpatient encounters per 100,000 enrolled children or adults and the number conducted via telehealth. We compared CHD-related outpatient utilization trends before and after the COVID-19 interruption (identified as March-May 2020) as an interrupted times series with Poisson regression.ResultsAmong adults and children in both insured populations, CHD-related outpatient utilization increased before the COVID-19 interruption (January 2018-February 2020); afterward, it decreased in Medicaid but continued increasing at a slower rate among the privately-insured (all <i>P</i> < 0.01). For children, CHD-related outpatient utilization in June 2020 was lower (8%-Medicaid, 5%-private) than would be expected without the interruption (both <i>P</i> < 0.01). Though <1% pre-pandemic, recent (2022/2023) telehealth utilization accounted for 1%-4% of pediatric and adult outpatient CHD-related encounters in both databases.DiscussionCHD-related outpatient care has declined among Medicaid beneficiaries and slowed among private insurance beneficiaries since the COVID-19 interruption, and efforts may be needed to re-engage CHD patients in regular outpatient cardiac care. Telehealth may be an underutilized option to improve access to CHD care.</p>","PeriodicalId":50024,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare","volume":" ","pages":"1357633X261474306"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148680847","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}