In the study of 176 patients, conducted between May 30 and June 30, 2020, only 15 percent preferred the telehealth appointment to an in-person visit, with 4 percent having no preference between the two.
Of the patients with farther distances to travel, a significant number favored telehealth. Ninety-six percent had transportation readily available.
Fifty-five percent of patients had lumbar symptoms, 85 percent had pain and more than half reported weakness.
As most spine patients favor in-person visits, this preference should be considered by clinicians when scheduling appointments, researchers said.
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