A brief retrospective review of medical records comparing outcomes for inpatients treated via telehealth versus in-person protocols: is telehealth equally effective as in-person visits for treating neutropenic fever, bacterial pneumonia, and infected bacterial wounds?

The incidence of infectious diseases in the United States has been increasing since 1980. Re-emergent conditions, multidrug-resistant bacteria, newly identified infections, and bioterrorism have prompted public health surveillance and control initiatives, including the use of telehealth technology. Infectious diseases, such as West Nile Virus, pose a particular threat to rural areas, where access to infectious disease specialists (IDS) is limited.