Abstract
WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS TOPIC? Between 50% and 85% of children experience at least one episode of acute otitis media (AOM) by age three. Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, numerous hospitals across China have integrated telehealth solutions into their pediatric care services. WHAT IS ADDED BY THIS REPORT? Our study found patients with ear pain relief was 84% in the telehealth follow-up group compared to 81% in the in-person follow-up group, showing no statistically significant difference (P=0.57). Hearing loss was documented in 21 cases from the telehealth group and 23 cases from the in-person follow-up group (P=0.73). Patient satisfaction scores were comparable between groups, with mean scores of 4.47 for telehealth and 4.49 for in-person follow-up (P=0.87). Multivariate regression revealed no significant difference in patient satisfaction between telehealth and in-person follow-up (P=0.21). WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTICE? Telehealth services can effectively bridge geographical healthcare disparities while optimizing pediatric care delivery systems.