Study: Telehealth consults with surgeons rose during pandemic’s first wave
March 26 (UPI) -- Nearly 40% of new surgical patient consultations in Michigan were conducted via telehealth at the height of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020, an analysis published Friday by JAMA Surgery found. Just under 17% of new patient visits to surgeons statewide between March 8 and June 6 of last year were completed using telehealth, the data showed. From June 7 through Sept. 5, that figure fell to 3%, the researchers said. Advertisement The findings suggest an increased use of telehealth among surgeons, a specialty not traditionally associated with the approach, during the pandemic, researchers said. "Telehealth is a viable way for patients to access surgical care," study co-author Dr. Grace Chao told UPI in an email. "We show ... that telehealth was success...