The following is a summary of “Impact of Virtual Care on Outpatient Urinary Tract Infection Management,” published in the December 2023 issue of Urology by DeWitt-Foy, et al.
For a study, researchers sought to investigate the impact of virtual care on urine testing, antibiotic prescription patterns, and outcomes in managing urinary tract infections (UTIs).
A retrospective analysis was conducted on adults treated for UTIs in an ambulatory setting within a large health system from March 2020 to 2021. Outcomes, including urine testing, antibiotic prescription, and retreatment or hospitalization, were compared between patients who had in-person visits and those who had virtual visits. Multivariable logistic regression was employed to examine factors contributing to these outcomes.
A significantly lower proportion of patients seen virtually underwent urine testing than those seen in person (19% vs. 69%, P < .001). Virtual visit was the most significant predictor of reduced urine testing, associated with an 86% reduction in the odds of urine testing (odds ratio [OR] 0.14, P < .001). Complicated UTIs did not affect the likelihood of urine testing (OR 1.0, P = .95). Patients seen virtually were more likely to have subsequent repeat ambulatory UTI visits (OR 1.16) or repeat antibiotic prescriptions (OR 1.06) more than 2 weeks after the index encounter. However, they were less likely to be hospitalized for UTI (OR 1.00).
Virtual care for UTIs is associated with a substantial reduction in urine testing and increased repeat UTI encounters and additional antibiotics, regardless of UTI complexity.
Reference: goldjournal.net/article/S0090-4295(23)00747-1/abstract