Telehealth in Australian cardiology: insight into factors predicting the use of telephone versus video during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Background The use of telehealth has increased dramatically in Australia in 2020 as a pragmatic response to the COVID‐19 pandemic; however, differences between telehealth modalities have not been established. Aim To identify characteristics contributing to choosing telephone (TP) versus video consultation (VC) and assess patient outcomes between telehealth modalities. Methods We conducted an observational study of cardiology outpatients at a tertiary hospital with appointments from 17 March 2020 to 12 August 2020. Demographic variables and appointment modality were compared between each group. Outcomes assessed were mortality, emergency department (ED) presentations and cross over between appointment modalities. Results There were 1754 telemedicine encounters with 1188 patients seen by TP and 327 patients by VC. Consulting volume increased from previous years. Cardiac mortality was low (0.3%). There were no differences in mortality or ED presentations between telehealth modalities. Patients choosing TP over VC were older (P