Telehealth for UTIs in Emerging Adult Women: What’s Needed, What Works, and What Could Go Wrong

This presentation by Jennifer Yarger, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the Institute for Health Policy Studies at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine was given as part of the Emerging Scholars Exchange Program at the U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation. Speaking on May 11, 2026, Dr. Yarger addressed her work on urinary tract infections (UTIs), which are common among sexually active young women, though little is known about how they seek care, the barriers they face, and how telehealth may influence access and quality of UTI care. Her findings from a mixed-methods, community-based study examine UTI care among emerging adult women (ages 18-29) including survey results from over 960 emerging adult participants, alongside insights from interviews with participants who received UTI care across multiple modalities. Findings include patterns in perceived access to UTI care and care-seeking behavior, telehealth preferences and use, and differences between telehealth and in-person care in clinical management and outcomes. The talk also highlights opportunities to improve UTI care access and quality in emerging adulthood, including youth-centered telehealth strategies. More about the Emerging Scholars Exchange Program: https://ihpi.umich.edu/education-trai...