Virtual Care Remuneration Policy and Postdischarge Follow-Up Trends

Was the implementation of a system-wide virtual care remuneration policy associated with changes in timely postdischarge follow-up among pediatric patients in Ontario, Canada?In this cross-sectional study of 643 156 hospital discharges across 469 066 children, there was no meaningful change in follow-up rates after virtual care remuneration policy implementation overall or by hospitalization type, patient rurality, and socioeconomic status. Rural populations and the most materially deprived populations experienced the lowest rates of virtual follow-up after policy development.This study suggests that a virtual care remuneration policy, characterized by virtual care billing codes, may be insufficient to enhance follow-up in the hospital-to-home transition and may reinforce existing inequities.

Corresponding Author: Astrid Guttmann, MDCM, MSc, ICES, Toronto, Canada (astrid.guttmann@ices.on.ca).

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