Impact of Virtual Care on Outpatient Urinary Tract Infection Management

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Health Informatics
• Ambulatory Care

Background:

• Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common, requiring effective management strategies.
• The rise of virtual care presents new approaches to managing conditions like UTIs.
• Understanding the impact of virtual care on diagnostic testing and treatment patterns is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of virtual care versus in-person visits on urine testing practices.
• To analyze antibiotic prescription patterns in virtual vs. in-person UTI management.
• To assess clinical outcomes, including retreatment and hospitalization, associated with virtual UTI care.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of adult UTI cases in an ambulatory setting (March 2020-2021).
• Comparison of outcomes (urine testing, antibiotic prescriptions, retreatment, hospitalization) between virtual and in-person visits.
• Multivariable logistic regression to identify factors influencing UTI management outcomes.

Main Results:

• Virtual visits were associated with significantly less urine testing (19% vs. 69%).
• Virtual care increased the likelihood of repeat UTI visits and antibiotic prescriptions within weeks.
• No significant difference in hospitalization rates was observed between virtual and in-person care.

Conclusions:

• Virtual care for UTIs significantly reduces urine testing.
• Telehealth management of UTIs may lead to increased repeat infections and antibiotic use.
• Careful consideration of diagnostic and treatment protocols is needed for virtual UTI management.