TDNet Discover

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic led to increased and more accessible use of telemedicine, which has remained common practice even as the pandemic ended. Telemedicine visits do not allow for a complete physical exam or in-office diagnostic testing to secure a diagnosis. Nevertheless, antibiotics may be prescribed for many common diagnoses, such as upper respiratory infections. Objective: The goal of this study is to gather more information on how telemedicine has influenced the rates at which antibiotics are prescribed. Methods: A systematic literature review, using PubMed and Medline databases, identified studies discussing antibiotics and telemedicine with restrictions based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Studies were evaluated via the NIH Quality Assessment Tool and further selected based on relevance. Results: A total of six reliable sources were selected for study. Of these, one found a higher rate of antibiotic prescriptions in telemedicine compared to in-office appointments, two found there to be no statistically significant difference, and three found there to be a lower rate in telemedicine. Conclusion: The data is inconclusive to determine if there is an overall difference in antibiotic prescription rates between telehealth and in-person visits. The data does not show clear evidence that telemedicine causes an over prescription of antibiotics. Since telemedicine is quickly growing, it is important to continue research on this topic.