Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

August 21, 2020

Health Inequalities in the Use of Telehealth in the United States in the Lens of COVID-19

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• Disparities in accessing telehealth appointments since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic were identified in a retrospective cohort study using a database linking insurance claims with patient-reported data. There was a rise in telehealth use from 0.2% to 2% in March 2020 compared to a similar time period in 2019. Adults over 45 were less likely to use telehealth than adults under 45, and respondents living in urban areas were more likely to use telehealth than those living in rural areas. Although presence of anxiety or depression were major predictors of telehealth use compared with in-person visits, no significant differences by sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic behaviors, or health behaviors were observed.

Jaffe et al. (Aug 18, 2020). Health Inequalities in the Use of Telehealth in the United States in the Lens of COVID-19. Population Health Management. https://doi.org/10.1089/pop.2020.0186