Virtual Sick Visits Tied to Higher Risk for Subsequent ED Visit in Children

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 7, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Very young children seen virtually for primary care sick visits are more likely to visit the emergency department within three days, according to a study published online Dec. 18 in JAMA Network Open.

Gabrielle Freire, from the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, and colleagues examined whether the modality of primary care sick visits (virtual versus in-person) for children is associated with subsequent emergency department use within three days. The analysis included administrative data from 2.6 million children with a primary care sick visit between September 2020 and March 2024.

The researchers found that children aged 3 months to <2 years had an increased adjusted risk for a subsequent emergency department visit when seen virtually versus in person (4.4 versus 3.5 percent; adjusted risk ratio [ARR], 1.49). A similar trend was seen for children aged 2 to 17 years (2.2 versus 2.4 percent; ARR, 1.19). For both children aged 3 months to <2 years and aged 2 to 17 years, those seen virtually had a lower risk for emergency department visits leading to hospitalization or death and a higher risk for low-acuity emergency department visits. The risk for a high-acuity emergency department visit was similar regardless of sick visit modality. Children younger than 3 months seen virtually had a similar risk for subsequent emergency visits as those seen in person.

“Virtual care definitely has a place in increasing access to primary care providers, with the caveat that in-person exams seem to be more important in young children than in adults in terms of resolution of acute concerns,” Freire said in a statement.

Abstract/Full Text