Most spine patients prefer in-person visits to telehealth, study finds

Spine

A study conducted by researchers from Penn State Hershey (Pa.) Medical Center found that most spine patients prefer in-person visits to virtual appointments.

In the study of 176 patients, conducted between May 30 and June 30, 2020, only 15 percent preferred the telehealth appointment to an in-person visit, with 4 percent having no preference between the two.

Of the patients with farther distances to travel, a significant number favored telehealth. Ninety-six percent had transportation readily available.

Fifty-five percent of patients had lumbar symptoms, 85 percent had pain and more than half reported weakness.

As most spine patients favor in-person visits, this preference should be considered by clinicians when scheduling appointments, researchers said.

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