The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has published information from the study “Acute Illness Care Patterns Change with Use of Telemedicine," which finds that when telemedicine is available in child care centers and schools for urban children with acute illnesses, the use of emergency departments (EDs) decreases substantially. In their study, researchers from the University of Rochester examined use of telemedicine access at 22 child care and school sites, office visits, and ED care. Children at telemedicine access sites had 22.2 percent fewer visits to EDs than those without access.

For more information, visit: http://www.ahrq.gov/research/dec09/1209RA19.htm.