Ensuring Primary Care Diagnostic Quality in the Era of Telemedicine
Submitted: June, 2021
Telemedicine applications have been utilized for decades, most commonly in specific areas of medicine (e.g., dermatology, pathology, radiology) and in specific contexts, (e.g., rural or other under-resourced areas).
The COVID-19 pandemic has markedly accelerated the expansion of the telemedicine platform, especially video visits, for primary care clinicians and practices relatively unfamiliar with its utilization. While telemedicine usage may be receding from its peak pandemic roll out, clinicians will likely continue to employ these video visits for patient care. Within this context of new and widespread on-going use, critical evaluation of telemedicine’s benefits and harms related to diagnosis is necessary, linked to efforts to minimize potential diagnostic errors and to establish best clinical practices.