Primary Care Telemedicine vs In-Person Antibiotic Prescribing for Pediatric Respiratory Tract Infections

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Acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) account for up to 20% of pediatric visits and lead to significant antibiotic prescriptions.
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Telemedicine can reduce travel burdens for families but raises concerns about quality of care and potential misdiagnoses.
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Previous studies show direct-to-consumer telemedicine models have higher antibiotic prescribing rates than in-person visits.
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This study analyzed EHR data from 694 US primary care practices to compare antibiotic prescribing in telemedicine versus in-person visits.
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Primary outcomes included rates of systemic antibiotic prescriptions and guideline-concordant management based on visit diagnoses.

Jama Network Open

by Kristin N. Ray, Samuel R. Wittman, Mary Kate Kelly, Janani Ramachandran, Kristin Davis, Donna Harris, Jennifer Steffes, Frances M. Biel, Everly Macario, Brigit A. Hatch, Julia E. Szymczak, Dara D. Méndez, Jonathan G. Yabes, Robert Grundmeier, Alexander G. Fiks
May 1, 2026

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