The following is a summary of “Evaluating Factors Associated With Telehealth Appropriateness in Outpatient Rheumatoid Arthritis Encounters Using the Encounter Appropriateness Score for You (EASY),” published in the August 2024 issue of Rheumatology by Smith et al.
Telehealth is considered a viable and effective substitute for in-person care for rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Researchers conducted a retrospective study assessing the factors influencing the suitability of telehealth for outpatient encounters in RA.
They utilized electronic health record data from outpatient RA visits at a single academic rheumatology practice (January 1, 2021- August 31, 2021). Providers assessed the appropriateness of telehealth for each encounter using the Encounter Appropriateness Score for You (EASY) immediately after the visit. To analyze the relationship between telehealth appropriateness and various factors, including patient demographics, RA clinical features, noninflammatory causes of joint pain, previous and current encounter details, and provider characteristics, robust poisson regression with generalized estimating equations was employed.
The result showed that 1,823 outpatient encounters involving 1,177 patients with RA were rated using the EASY by 25 rheumatology providers. In the final multivariate analysis, factors contributing to greater telehealth appropriateness included a higher average provider preference for telehealth in prior visits (relative risk [RR] 1.26, 95% CI 1.21-1.31), the use of telehealth for the current encounter (RR 2.27, 95% CI 1.95-2.64), and increased patient age (RR 1.05, 95% CI 1.01-1.09). Conversely, factors linked to reduced telehealth appropriateness included moderate (RR 0.81, 95% CI 0.68-0.96) and high (RR 0.57, 95% CI 0.46-0.70) RA disease activity, as well as previous encounters conducted via telehealth (RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.73-0.95).
Investigators concluded that telehealth appropriateness was primarily influenced by provider preference, the modality of current and previous encounters, and RA disease activity, with patient demographics, RA medications, and noninflammatory comorbidities showing no significant association.
Source: jrheum.org/content/51/8/759
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