Abstract
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common cause of health care utilization in the United States. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic accelerated virtual care for UTIs. This retrospective cohort study analyzes more than 1.2 million encounters for UTI based on diagnosis codes, examining temporal trends focusing on virtual compared with in-person encounters, antibiotic dispensation rates, and culture-confirmed UTIs. From 2015 to 2022, UTI encounters increased by 325.9%, with a majority occurring at virtual visits. The rate of UTI encounters per 1,000 adult female patients increased by 241.6%. Antibiotic dispensation rates increased, surpassing the rise in rate of positive urine cultures, suggesting increasing use of empiric antibiotics. Our findings underscore the importance of balancing telemedicine's accessibility with maintaining antibiotic stewardship and highlight the need for updated guidelines.
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