Variation in Quality of Care Among Virtual Urgent Care Providers

Key findings. (1) Significant variation in quality was found among companies providing virtual visits for management of common acute illnesses. (2) Variation in the performance of the telemedicine companies differed by condition. Specifically, variation across websites was significantly greater for viral pharyngitis and acute rhinosinusitis than for streptococcal pharyngitis, low back pain, ankle pain, and recurrent urinary tract infection. (3) Mode of communication (videoconference, telephone, or webchat) had no statistically significant effect on completeness of history and physical examination or adherence to key management decision guidelines. However, videoconference and telephone consultations were statistically superior to webchat for making the correct diagnosis.