Digital health consultations are not enough to safely assess tonsillitis, according to a study from the University of Gothenburg. Reliability will not be sufficient, increasing the risk of overtreating or undertreating a sore throat.
Tonsillitis is a common reason for doctor visits and antibiotic prescriptions in primary care. To determine whether a patient needs antibiotics, doctors use the so-called Centor criteria for tonsillitis. Criteria include fever, tender and swollen lymph nodes in the corners of the jaw, and inspection of the tonsils.
However, it is not clear to what extent these criteria can be assessed during digital health consultations compared to traditional in-person consultations. This lack of scientific evidence has become a growing concern as digital health visits become more common.
Digital or physical assessment
The current study, published in the journal Infectious diseasesexamines whether numerical assessments are as reliable as physical examinations in determining whether antibiotic treatment is warranted. The study includes 189 patients who visited health clinics and urgent care clinics in the Västra Götaland region, Sweden, between January 2020 and October 2023.
Each patient in the study underwent two assessments: a video-based digital medical assessment and a physical exam performed by another physician. The results show that digital health consultations are insufficient to assess some of the most important criteria, such as tonsil inspection and lymph node examination.
Digital is not secure enough
One of the driving forces behind the study is Patrycja Woldan-Gradalska, a doctoral student at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg and resident doctor at the Sätila Health Clinic.
Our study shows that although digital health consultations are convenient for many patients, they are not reliable enough to assess tonsillitis. To ensure correct diagnosis and treatment, it is always important to perform a physical examination. »
Patrycja Woldan-Gradalska, doctoral student at the Académie Sahlgrenska, University of Gothenburg
The authors are active in the field of community medicine and public health at the Sahlgrenska Academy of the University of Gothenburg and FoUUI primary and community health care of the Västra Götaland region, a support resource for research, education, development and innovation.
