A new study has found that virtual rheumatology care (VCV), introduced widely during the COVID-19 pandemic, can provide effective patient management without increasing hospital admissions due to rheumatologic disease.
Researchers followed 226 patients who had both pre-pandemic in-person visits and pandemic-era virtual consultations. While overall emergency visits and hospital admissions for any cause increased during the pandemic, rates related specifically to rheumatologic disease remained stable. Importantly, only 3.1% of virtual consultations failed, requiring an additional in-person visit within 60 days.
Approximately one-third of patients reported using more pain medication during the pandemic, and almost half of those who experienced failed VCV required additional steroid treatment. Nevertheless, the overall data suggest that virtual rheumatology visits are safe and sustainable for many patients.
“Virtual care is here to stay in certain circumstances,” the authors noted. They emphasized the need for structured algorithms to guide when virtual versus in-person visits are most appropriate and called for insurers to support ongoing access to virtual rheumatology care.
The findings add to a growing body of evidence that digital health solutions can extend specialist care while minimizing unnecessary hospital visits—a valuable tool for both patients and healthcare systems navigating post-pandemic challenges.
Reference
Gazel et al. The impact of virtual rheumatology care on patient outcomes and hospital admissions: an ambispective study. BMC Rheumatol. 2025;DOI: 10.1186/s41927-025-00558-z.
