Adding a live video consultation with pediatric trauma specialists did not improve parents' overall experience, reduce their distress, or lower transfer rates for injured children treated at community emergency departments, according to a randomized trial published Oct. 21 in JAMA Network Open.
The study, led by researchers at UC Davis, did find one benefit. Parents whose children were assigned to telemedicine rated the experience of leaving the first emergency department higher, a sign that seeing the specialist team may help families prepare for a stressful move between hospitals.
