Healio: Patients with allergy welcome telemedicine, but allergist uptake is low

By Janel Miller 

Although most patients with allergy are receptive to the idea of telemedicine, some allergy practitioners are not, according to several presentations at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Annual Scientific Meeting.

Mary Nguyen, MD, a fellow at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, said of 299 pediatric allergy/immunology patients surveyed, 63% were as satisfied with telemedicine as they were with in-person visits, 37% were more satised and no patients were less satised.

“The distance the patient would have had to travel to the office and the convenience telemedicine provided were the most common reasons for patient satisfaction,” Nguyen told attendees. She added that patients enjoyed a shorter wait time for an appointment using telemedicine.

However, widespread acceptance of the technology among allergists and immunologists remains limited.

In a separate presentation, David M. Lang, MD, chairman of the department of allergy and clinical immunology at Cleveland Clinic, offered pointers to help attendees start offering telemedicine to their patients.

“View it as a component of providing an integrated care approach for your patients,” he said.

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Learn more about Telemedicine at Children's Mercy