Telehealth Yields Similar Outcomes as In-Person HIV Treatment
A new study finds that treating HIV with telehealth produces similar health outcomes as face-to-face treatment, presenting a potential solution for individuals in rural areas who have difficulty accessing care.
Source: Think Stock
- The use of telehealth in HIV treatment for patients living in rural Georgia showed comparable results to in-person care, according to a study published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases.
More than one million people above the age of 13 in the United States live with HIV. Many go for extended periods of time without treatment due to care disparities that hinder access to care, such as a lack of transportation or a lack of specialists in the area. In rural areas, those disparities are more pronounced, with patients often driving several hours to the nearest clinic or practice to receive treatment.
To test the value of a connected health platform in a rural area like Georgia, a research team from Augusta University and Massachusetts General Hospital looked at 185 individuals from the Dublin Department of Health HIV clinic database who used telehealth and compared their health outcomes with 200 individuals from the August University HIV clinic patient database who received traditional face-to-face treatment. The telemedicine participants received their treatment via two-way video conferencing with an infectious diseases physician.