Telemedicine journal and e-health : the official journal of the American Telemedicine Association最新文献

{"title":"Associations Between Hospital Health Information Technology Adoption and Star Ratings, Readmissions, and Mortality.","authors":"Alice S Yan, Jie Chen","doi":"10.1177/15305627261490007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15305627261490007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Quality of care is essential to an efficient and cost-effective healthcare system. Health information technology (HIT) adoption has emerged as a promising structural solution for improving the quality of clinical processes and patient outcomes at hospitals. The objective of this work was to estimate the association between hospital HIT adoption and performance on quality indicators (QIs).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Cross-sectional study linking data from the 2023 American Hospital Association Annual Survey and Information Technology Supplement, the 2021-2024 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Hospital Care Compare databases, and the 2023 Area Health Resources Files. Descriptive and regression analyses were run with hospital-level clustering, examining the association between adoption of telehealth (treatment-stage and postdischarge), health information exchange (HIE), and patient engagement (PE) technologies and performance on star ratings (scale of 1-5), 30-day readmissions, and 30-day mortality.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among a sample ranging from 1,636 to 2,771 acute care hospitals in the United States (depending on QI outcome and HIT exposure), telehealth, HIE, and PE adoption were found to be associated with higher star ratings (treatment-stage: 0.36 stars; postdischarge: 0.15 stars; HIE: 0.17 stars; PE: 0.12 stars) and lower mortality (treatment-stage: -0.31 pp.; postdischarge: -0.19 pp.; HIE: -0.19 pp.; PE: -0.16 pp.). HIE adoption was also associated with lower readmissions (-0.07 pp.), whereas the association between PE adoption and readmissions was not statistically significant.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Hospital HIT adoption is associated with better performance on QIs, suggesting that digital infrastructure may support hospital quality improvement. Policy efforts should focus on alleviating barriers to adoption and promoting access to technology resources.</p>","PeriodicalId":520784,"journal":{"name":"Telemedicine journal and e-health : the official journal of the American Telemedicine Association","volume":" ","pages":"15305627261490007"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149077390","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Telemedicine Adoption and Attitudes Among Procedural Physicians in Ohio: A Cross-Sectional Mixed-Methods Survey.","authors":"Sheena Lunsford, Jacob Weaver, Tate Barney, Noah Storts, Stephen Vinczi, Mason Chambal, Jeannette Manger, Jayna Vossler","doi":"10.1177/15305627261489008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15305627261489008","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Telemedicine expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic, but its role in procedural and surgical specialties is less well described. We evaluated telemedicine adoption, physician attitudes, and perceived barriers among procedural physicians in Ohio.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a statewide cross-sectional electronic survey of procedural physicians practicing in Ohio, with optional semistructured follow-up interviews. Survey domains included telemedicine utilization, adoption drivers, usability, and barriers. Quantitative analyses included descriptive statistics, multivariable logistic regression to evaluate predictors of telemedicine use, and ordinal logistic regression to evaluate predictors of telehealth acceptability and willingness to use telehealth again. Interviews were analyzed descriptively to contextualize survey findings.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of 191 respondents, 156 (81.7%) reported prior telemedicine use; among these users, 129 (82.7%) first used telemedicine after the emergence of COVID-19. Telemedicine was used most often for follow-up visits (73.7%); however, few respondents perceived telemedicine encounters as equivalent to in-person visits. In multivariable analyses, more years in procedural practice were associated with lower odds of telemedicine use (odds ratio [OR] 0.53, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.33-0.86). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated higher odds of telemedicine use among physicians practicing in mixed (OR = 3.10, 95% CI 1.06-9.07) and rural (OR = 3.02, 95% CI 1.03-8.80) settings compared with urban settings, whereas ordinal regression models showed no significant association between community type and telehealth acceptability or willingness to use telehealth again. Interviews emphasized physical examination limitations, workflow inefficiencies, and reimbursement barriers.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Telemedicine adoption among procedural physicians is widespread but selective, functioning primarily as an adjunct for counseling and follow-up rather than a replacement for in-person surgical evaluation.</p>","PeriodicalId":520784,"journal":{"name":"Telemedicine journal and e-health : the official journal of the American Telemedicine Association","volume":" ","pages":"15305627261489008"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149070886","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Telenursing Care for Ostomy Patients: An Observational Study From Telessaúders.","authors":"Laura Ferraz Dos Santos, Franciela Delazeri Carlotto, Fabiane Elizabetha de Moraes Ribeiro, Nildete Vargas Pozebom, Dimitris Varvaki Rados, Amália de Fátima Lucena, Stela Maris de Jezus Castro, Natan Katz","doi":"10.1177/15305627261492969","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15305627261492969","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>To describe a remote nursing consultation service (Telestoma) and evaluate its effects on ostomy complications.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This retrospective observational study analyzed data from 462 patients served by Telestoma (June, 2022-June, 2023). The primary outcome was peristomal skin alteration, and its association with factors such as pouch change interval, stoma-related complaints, and material inadequacy was evaluated. Satisfaction was evaluated with net promoter score (NPS). Telestoma provides structured, synchronous nursing consultations by video call, during which the stoma nurse can adjust the ostomy appliance prescription. Statistical analyses included univariable and multivariable Poisson regression with robust variance.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 449 patients were included. Most had intestinal stomas (88%). Regarding follow-up, 42% had one consultation and 35% had three. Peristomal skin alteration was associated with pouch change intervals under 4 days, stoma-related complaints, and material inadequacy. Over time, remote consultations were associated with a lower risk of skin alterations, with a 15.3% reduction by the third consultation. Among associated factors, material inadequacy and stoma-related complaints were the strongest outcome predictors. Patient satisfaction was high (NPS 99).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Peristomal skin complications are associated with factors sensible to telehealth. Telestoma reduced complications, being a structured, scalable, and satisfactory strategy for patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":520784,"journal":{"name":"Telemedicine journal and e-health : the official journal of the American Telemedicine Association","volume":" ","pages":"15305627261492969"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149067304","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Telehealth-Enabled Transitional Care Across Inpatient-to-Outpatient Settings in Patients with Diabetes: A Scoping Review.","authors":"Donghwan Lee, Lisvel Matos, Sarah Cantrell, Matthew J Crowley, Ryan J Shaw","doi":"10.1177/15305627261490004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15305627261490004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The inpatient-to-outpatient transition is a critical and vulnerable period for patients with diabetes, frequently marked by fragmented communication, incomplete follow-up, and preventable readmissions. Telehealth has emerged as a promising approach to bridge this gap; however, the design and implementation of telehealth-enabled transitional care models have not been systematically characterized.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This scoping review aimed to map existing evidence on telehealth-enabled transitional care for patients with diabetes; characterize intervention components, modalities, and target populations; and summarize reported outcomes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Following Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines, MEDLINE, CINAHL Complete, and Web of Science were searched. Eligible studies included empirical research and published protocols reporting telehealth interventions initiated during hospitalization or at discharge and continuing into outpatient or home settings.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Twenty studies published between 2014 and 2025 were included. Telephone-based follow-up was the most frequently used modality, appearing in 17 of 20 studies. Nurses and nurse practitioners were the most commonly identified providers. Glycemic outcomes were more consistently improved than hospital readmission rates: 7 out of 13 studies reported significant glycated hemoglobin reductions compared with 3 out of 14 studies reporting significant readmission reductions.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Provider role and the social and structural context of care delivery emerged as important considerations for both clinical practice and research. Key gaps include lack of consensus on appropriate transitional duration, limited provider continuity description, limited cost-effectiveness evidence, underrepresentation of type 1 diabetes, and insufficient attention to health equity.</p>","PeriodicalId":520784,"journal":{"name":"Telemedicine journal and e-health : the official journal of the American Telemedicine Association","volume":" ","pages":"15305627261490004"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149013554","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"In-Person Versus Telemedicine for Medication Adherence in Hepatitis C.","authors":"Shlomit Yaron, Ronen Arbel, Yafa Ashur, Talish Razi","doi":"10.1177/15305627261490791","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15305627261490791","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) cure more than 95% of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections, shifting the principal barrier to elimination from drug efficacy to patient engagement and adherence. Telemedicine is generally non-inferior to in-person care for HCV management, but most evidence treats care modalities as mutually exclusive and does not address how their integration in routine practice affects treatment completion. The objective or this work was to evaluate the association between care-modality patterns: in-person only, telemedicine only, or hybrid, and DAA medication adherence among adults treated for HCV in routine care.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adults with HCV treated with DAAs between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2024 within Clalit Health Services. Patients were classified by care pathway as in-person, telemedicine, or hybrid. The primary outcome was completion of a full DAA treatment course based on pharmacy dispensing records. Associations were estimated with multivariable logistic regression adjusted for sex, age group, population sector, and drug-abuse diagnosis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of 7,295 patients analyzed (36% in-person only, 7.6% telemedicine only, 56% hybrid), overall treatment completion was 69%: 64% with in-person care, 61% with telemedicine, and 74% with hybrid care. In adjusted analyses, telemedicine alone was similar to in-person care (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.93, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.77-1.13, <i>p</i> = 0.4). Hybrid care was independently associated with higher completion than in-person care (aOR 1.67, 95% CI 1.50-1.86, <i>p</i> < 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Hybrid care pathways were independently associated with substantially higher DAA completion than either in-person or telemedicine alone. Telemedicine on its own conferred no measurable advantage. HCV elimination programs should embed structured hybrid pathways and pair them with targeted adherence support for older patients and patients with drug-use disorders.</p>","PeriodicalId":520784,"journal":{"name":"Telemedicine journal and e-health : the official journal of the American Telemedicine Association","volume":" ","pages":"15305627261490791"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149013552","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Neonatal CATCH Program: Remote Monitoring Benefits Medically Complex Infants at Home.","authors":"John Chuo, Lori Spotts, Kristen Smith, Meredith White, Jennifer Perkins, Jess Boyle, Bolu Oluwalade, Matthew Coyle, Sarah Hadley, Tamar Preminger, Bimal Desai","doi":"10.1177/15305627261488138","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15305627261488138","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Medically complex infants comprise a small fraction of births yet account for disproportionate health care utilization after neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) discharge. We evaluated a 30-day postdischarge remote patient management (RPMT) program-Neonatal Collaborative Assistance and Telehealth for Complex Homecare (CATCH)-combining remote therapeutic monitoring and structured caregiver support.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In a pragmatic, staged rollout (March 2023 to February 2025), we prospectively followed eligible NICU graduates discharged on tube feeds, yielding two cohorts: enrolled (E) and not enrolled (NE), plus a historical \"would-have-been-eligible\" cohort. Interventions included telemedicine visits, bidirectional text message check-ins, and collaboration with primary and subspecialty care teams. Outcomes were 30-day readmission (RA30), 30-day ED visit (EDV30), frequency and types of interventions, Net Promoter Score, and weight gain. Analyses used statistical process control (SPC) methods, bivariate tests, and logistic regression modeling.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Three hundred and two and 254 infants were, respectively, E and NE during CATCH implementation, plus 853 historical controls for a total of 1,409 eligible infants. Mean weight gain did not differ (18.8 vs. 22.3 g; <i>p</i> = 0.28). RA30 was lower in E versus NE (13% vs. 22%; <i>p</i> < 0.01), and EDV30 was lower in E versus NE (21% vs. 28%; <i>p</i> = 0.08). Regression and inferential statistics provided a deeper understanding, complemented by SPC time charts that included comparison with historical cohort. At least one \"good catch\" intervention occurred in 23% of enrolled infants with the majority closing communication gaps among health care team members; net promoter score was 89.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>A structured RPMT program immediately after NICU discharge was associated with lower 30-day readmissions, beneficial interventions, and was highly recommended by families. Future studies and actions must address social determinants such as interpreter access.</p>","PeriodicalId":520784,"journal":{"name":"Telemedicine journal and e-health : the official journal of the American Telemedicine Association","volume":" ","pages":"15305627261488138"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149013556","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Telepsychiatry and Rural Mental Health Access in U.S. Health Care: An Integrative Review of Appointment Access, Utilization, and Care Continuity.","authors":"Kaylee Canterbury, Taylor Carpenter, Anna Heineman, Nandini Manne, Alberto Coustasse","doi":"10.1177/15305627261486258","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15305627261486258","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Rural mental health care access in the United States (U.S.) has remained limited because of psychiatrist shortages, geographic isolation, transportation barriers, and long appointment wait times. Sixty-five percent of nonmetropolitan counties lack a practicing psychiatrist, rising to 80% in the most remote noncore counties. The objective of this work was to evaluate whether telepsychiatry was associated with appointment access, health care utilization, appointment completion, and continuity of care among rural U.S. populations between 2015 and 2026.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>An integrative review was conducted using a structured Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome question framework and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses-informed methodology. Searches were conducted from August 2025 through August 2026 in PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Psychological Information Database, Scopus, and Web of Science, supplemented by Google Scholar and by governmental and professional sources. Sixty sources met eligibility criteria across empirical, review, policy, and economic evidence types.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Telepsychiatry was associated with faster access to care. Median wait times were 43 days for telepsychiatry versus 67 days for in-person care, and emergency consultation turnaround was 84% shorter. Rural use of any mental health care rose from 9.35% in 2019 to 13.07% in 2023, though nonrural use rose faster. Appointment completion findings were mixed, with lower missed-appointment rates but higher rates in one rural behavioral health population. Telepsychiatry use was associated with a lower hospitalization rate in a Medicaid population.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Telepsychiatry was associated with faster psychiatric access and with more favorable continuity outcomes in several rural and underserved populations, while appointment-completion findings were inconsistent across rural settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":520784,"journal":{"name":"Telemedicine journal and e-health : the official journal of the American Telemedicine Association","volume":" ","pages":"15305627261486258"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148978872","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Telehealth Versus In-Person Visits in Routine Oncology Care: Comparing Patient-Reported Symptom Outcomes.","authors":"Yujia Hou, Soroush Fariman, Matthew R Dunn, Ilona Fridman, Regina Jones, Jacob N Stein, Samantha Tam, William A Wood, Christine Neslund-Dudas, Jennifer Elston Lafata","doi":"10.1177/15305627261487924","DOIUrl":"10.1177/15305627261487924","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Evidence is limited on how patient-reported symptoms relate to telehealth use and whether telehealth visits yield comparable symptom outcomes to in-person care in routine oncology practice.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>An observational cohort of adult patients who received cancer treatment 6 months to 3 years prior to a scheduled oncology visit across two academic medical centers and their affiliated community sites in North Carolina and Michigan was recruited. Pre- and postvisit telephone surveys were linked to electronic health records and geocoded data. Surveys assessed being offered a telehealth visit option and six symptoms (fatigue, pain, insomnia, anxiety, sadness, and discouragement). Chi-square tests were used to compare patient-reported symptoms by visit modality, and logistic regression was used to examine symptom associations with being offered and accepting telehealth visits. Propensity score-weighted changes in symptom composite scores pre- to postvisit were compared by visit modality.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 610 patients (496 in-person and 114 telehealth visits), symptoms were common (fatigue 79.7%, pain 73.9%, insomnia 65.9%, anxiety 62.5%, sadness 64.4%, and discouragement 35.1%). A telehealth visit option was offered to 24.8% of patients, among whom 66.2% accepted it. Patients reporting sadness were less likely to be offered a telehealth visit than those without sadness (22.1% vs. 29.5%; <i>p</i> = 0.04) and, if offered, were less likely to accept a telehealth visit (59.8% vs. 75.0%; <i>p</i> = 0.03). In contrast, patients reporting pain were more likely to be offered telehealth than those without pain (26.6% vs. 19.5%; <i>p</i> = 0.04). Changes in composite symptom scores from pre- to postvisit were small and not statistically significant for either in-person (95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.05, 0.01) or telehealth visits (95% CI: -0.12, 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Although access to telehealth oncology visits varies by symptom presentation, routinely offered and accepted telehealth visits appear to lead to near-term symptom outcomes similar to in-person visits.</p>","PeriodicalId":520784,"journal":{"name":"Telemedicine journal and e-health : the official journal of the American Telemedicine Association","volume":" ","pages":"15305627261487924"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148932482","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Municipality-Funded Telehealth and Emergency Department Utilization Among Uninsured Urban Populations: A Scoping Review.","authors":"Sandra Mensah, Aurora Tafili, Sinyoung Park, Paul Sapia, Jing Xu, Hanadi Hamadi","doi":"10.1177/15305627261486292","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15305627261486292","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The social determinants of health (SDoH) of uninsured patients are an underlying mechanism of avoidable emergency department (ED) use, but only 28.4% of EDs across the United States routinely screen for SDoH. Municipality-funded telehealth programs have emerged as a potential strategy to expand access to primary care and reduce preventable ED visits. However, no existing review has mapped the evidence on publicly supported telehealth models targeting uninsured urban residents. The purpose of this scoping review was to examine the cost-benefits of municipality-funded telehealth services on ED utilization among vulnerable populations in the U.S.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Articles were retrieved from PubMed, Medline, and Google Scholar using concept blocks and search terms and were managed using Covidence^®. This resulted in 477 articles reviewed against the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Seven articles met eligibility requirements and were included for data extraction and analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The seven included articles indicated that telehealth utilization prompts primary care access, increased appointment adherence, and less ED use. In addition, telehealth services proved to be economic and cost-beneficial and bridged the gap in health inequality by addressing SDoHs, mostly among uninsured and vulnerable populations.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Leveraging telehealth in uninsured populations produces positive effects on primary care access and utilization and subsequent reduction in avoidable ED use. All telehealth interventions reviewed were funded by donations, hospital systems, or nongovernment organizations. To support telehealth to combat avoidable ED use, there remains untapped opportunity for municipality-funded telehealth initiatives. This multisource focus on telehealth access can provide broader and sustained access for uninsured urban residents.</p>","PeriodicalId":520784,"journal":{"name":"Telemedicine journal and e-health : the official journal of the American Telemedicine Association","volume":" ","pages":"15305627261486292"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148914704","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Factors Influencing Patients' Preference for Telemedicine in Physical Therapy: The Roles of Perceived Provider Expertise and Integrity.","authors":"Amin Saleh, Aadel A Darrat, Mahmoud A Darrat, Mohamad A Darrat","doi":"10.1177/15305627261487073","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15305627261487073","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>This study examined factors influencing physical therapy patients' preference for virtual over in-person physical therapy. Key variables included physical therapy patients' technology comfort (TC), virtual treatment self-efficacy (VTSE), perceived provider expertise (PPE), and perceived provider integrity (PPI).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional survey of physical therapy patients was conducted in collaboration with a regional physical therapy provider. Data were collected from February to May 2025, resulting in 141 complete responses from patients aged 18-83 years.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Patients' mean preference for virtual over in-person physical therapy was 2.97 (±1.27), as measured on a 5-point Likert scale. Multiple regression analysis indicated that patients' preference for virtual physical therapy (VPT) was positively associated with VTSE (<i>β</i> = 0.450, <i>p</i> < 0.001) and PPE (<i>β</i> = 0.484, <i>p</i> = 0.010). Additionally, TC had a significant positive interaction with PPI (<i>β</i> = 0.301, <i>p</i> = 0.035), and VTSE had a significant positive interaction with PPE (<i>β</i> = 0.358, <i>p</i> = 0.033). Demographic factors were not significantly associated with preference for VPT.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The findings suggest that ]patients' confidence and provider-related perceptions have important associations with their preference for VPT. By fostering patients' confidence in applying virtual treatments and enhancing perceptions of provider expertise and integrity, physical therapy providers may influence patient preference for telerehabilitation. The findings highlight the need for further research on how patients' preference for virtual care is shaped by how they view their health care providers.</p>","PeriodicalId":520784,"journal":{"name":"Telemedicine journal and e-health : the official journal of the American Telemedicine Association","volume":" ","pages":"15305627261487073"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148914655","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}