Linda Nabha, M.D.
Fewer than 10% of U.S. acute care hospitals have on-site infectious diseases (ID) physician support, and the pipeline isn’t keeping up. Only 45% of ID fellowship positions filled in the 2025 Match. Tele-ID (infectious disease (ID) telemedicine) offers a practical way to expand infectious diseases physician access using the expertise that exists today.
The outcomes of infectious diseases telemedicine are encouraging. Hospitals using tele-ID have seen transfer rates to tertiary centers drop by up to 60% and hospital stays shorten by one to two days on average.
In a recent IDSA Science Speaks blog, ID Connect physician Linda Nabha, M.D., explores what it will take to scale tele-ID responsibly, including integrating it into fellowship training and securing long-term Medicare support so hospitals can plan around it.