To determine whether a patient needs antibiotics for tonsillitis, doctors use certain criteria, including examining the tonsils and swollen lymph nodes. These criteria are often missed during digital healthcare visits, a study at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg shows.
The study shows that digital healthcare visits are not sufficient to assess some of the criteria that determine whether antibiotic treatment is justified.
"Our study shows that even though digital healthcare visits are practical for many patients, they are not reliable enough to assess tonsillitis. To ensure a correct diagnosis and treatment, it is still important to perform a physical examination," says Patrycja Woldan-Gradalska, a doctoral student at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, in a press release.
The study included 189 patients who underwent two assessments: a digital doctor's assessment via video and a physical examination by a doctor.
