FRIDAY, April 24, 2026 (NewsDay News) — New virtual neurology outpatient visits are associated with similar downstream utilization as in-person visits, according to a study published online April 22, 2026. Neurology.
Chloé E. Hill, MD, from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort study of adults with a new outpatient neurology visit from September 2020 to December 2021 to compare subsequent health care utilization after virtual visits with in-person neurology visits. Using propensity scores, virtual and in-person patients were matched in a 1:1 ratio (8,202 virtual and 8,202 in-person visits).
The researchers observed a difference in neurological follow-up at 90 days between virtual and in-person visits (24.6 versus 23.7 percent). After virtual visits, 30-day follow-up was slightly lower in the neurology clinic, while follow-up at six months and one year was similar between groups. Neurological emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations within 90 days were similar between groups. Additionally, all-cause ED and hospital visits within 90 days were compared. Ninety-day follow-up after in-person visits was higher for dementia, while higher 30- and 90-day follow-ups were seen after virtual visits for Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis. Ninety-day follow-up was also higher after virtual visits for headaches.
“Our results suggest that virtual visits are appropriate for initial neurological assessment in a number of settings,” Hill said in a statement. “We found that neurological patients with virtual first visits generally did not experience a higher rate of trips to the emergency department or hospitals.”
Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.
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