Even as digital healthcare consultations become more common, a study has shown that they may not be sufficient for a safe assessment of tonsillitis.
Tonsillitis is a painful infection of the tonsils — two lymph node-rich glands in the back of the throat. Symptoms of tonsillitis include swollen tonsils, sore throat, and difficulty swallowing.
The study found that digital assessments may not be reliable, thus increasing the risk of over- or undertreatment of a sore throat.
Since tonsillitis is commonly treated with antibiotics, digital assessments may not be as reliable as physical examinations in determining whether antibiotic treatment is warranted, said the team from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.
To determine whether a patient needs antibiotics, doctors use the so-called Centor Criteria — fever, tender and swollen lymph nodes in the angles of the jaw, and inspection of the tonsils. However, it has been unclear how well these criteria can be assessed during digital healthcare consultations compared to traditional in-person consultations, the researchers said.
“Our study shows that although digital healthcare consultations are convenient for many patients, they are not reliable enough to assess tonsillitis. To ensure a correct diagnosis and treatment, it is still important to conduct a physical examination,” said Patrycja Woldan-Gradalska, a doctoral student at Sahlgrenska Academy at the university.
The study, published in the journal Infectious Diseases, included 189 patients who sought care at healthcare and urgent care clinics in Sweden between January 2020 and October 2023.
Each patient in the study underwent two assessments: a digital medical assessment via video and a physical examination conducted by another doctor.
The results showed that digital healthcare consultations are not sufficient to assess some of the most important criteria, such as tonsil inspection and lymph node examination.
(IANS)