The findings indicate that telemedicine does not lead to increased imaging utilization, supporting its viability as a virtual care option without contributing to healthcare overuse.

The analysis compared telemedicine and in-person visits across various clinician types, utilizing Optum’s claims database to ensure comprehensive and accurate comparisons.

A recent study analyzing over 23 million office visits from 2021, using data from Optum's extensive claims database, found that telemedicine visits resulted in a 2.4% lower imaging rate within seven days compared to in-person visits, representing a 29.7% relative difference.

The study analyzed data from 2021, a year when telemedicine surged from 15% of visits in 2019 to nearly 86%, driven largely by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic significantly accelerated the adoption of telemedicine, transforming it into a primary mode of healthcare delivery during this period.

This research utilized a large national dataset from Optum, covering a diverse population of over 6.7 million patients and more than 570,000 clinicians, ensuring robust and representative insights.

Researchers emphasize the need for further studies to evaluate whether imaging studies ordered during telemedicine visits are appropriate and if clinicians adhere to imaging guidelines as they do in in-person consultations.

Study co-author Dr. Lauren P. Nicola highlighted that telemedicine can be a safe and effective way to deliver care without increasing the rate of imaging studies.

Telemedicine was more frequently used for psychiatric care and among patients with commercial insurance, but less so among providers who also offered imaging services.