Table 3.

Comparison of the benefits of in-person office visits compared to telemedicine visits.

Domain	Office Visit	Telemedicine Visit
Assessing patient’s self-management	Patient or caregiver report; review medication adherence by memory or list	Patient can show their organization system; can demonstrate use of inhalers or other medical devices
Involving family/caregivers	If a family member/caregiver accompanies patient to office, they may participate in the office visit or stay in waiting room. Family members living far away may not be able to participate.	Potential to involve more care partners in more visits, even individuals at distant sites.
Home environment	Limited, indirect information about level of organization in home, safety of home environment	Potential for visualizing much of the home environment for level of organization and safety
Coordination of care and co-management	Single physician–patient dyad at one visit	Potential for more than one physician on patient’s care team to join all or part of the same telemedicine visit (e.g., primary care provider and specialist)
Time and convenience	Time and convenience favors physician/care team	Potential for favorable time and convenience benefits for both physician and patient, when the patient is comfortable with the telemedicine modality and has access
Physical examination	Opportunity for complete, in-person examination	Limited visual assessment; some maneuvers may be assessed with involvement of patient and caregiver
Nonverbal communication	Can be facilitated by in-person environment	Can be limited somewhat by video conference modality
Patient Access	Transportation, and insurance coverage vs. sliding scale payment model	Requires access to a device and internet connection