Disparities in telemedicine utilization among surgical patients during COVID-19.
<h4>Background</h4>Telemedicine has been rapidly adopted in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is limited work surrounding demographic and socioeconomic disparities that may exist in telemedicine utilization. This study aimed to examine demographic and socioeconomic differences in...
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2021
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oai:doaj.org-article:79a8eed00ab6471bb4641fc1be0e07792021-11-25T05:54:11ZDisparities in telemedicine utilization among surgical patients during COVID-19.1932-620310.1371/journal.pone.0258452https://doaj.org/article/79a8eed00ab6471bb4641fc1be0e07792021-01-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0258452https://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203<h4>Background</h4>Telemedicine has been rapidly adopted in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is limited work surrounding demographic and socioeconomic disparities that may exist in telemedicine utilization. This study aimed to examine demographic and socioeconomic differences in surgical patient telemedicine usage during the COVID-19 pandemic.<h4>Methods</h4>Department of Surgery outpatients seen from July 1, 2019 to May 31, 2020 were stratified into three visit groups: pre-COVID-19 in-person, COVID-19 in-person, or COVID-19 telemedicine. Generalized linear models were used to examine associations of sex, race/ethnicity, Distressed Communities Index (DCI) scores, MyChart activation, and insurance status with telemedicine usage during the COVID-19 pandemic.<h4>Results</h4>14,792 patients (median age 60, female [57.0%], non-Hispanic White [76.4%]) contributed to 21,980 visits. Compared to visits before the pandemic, telemedicine visits during COVID-19 were more likely to be with patients from the least socioeconomically distressed communities (OR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.08,1.58; P = 0.005), with an activated MyChart (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.17-1.64; P < .001), and with non-government or commercial insurance (OR, 2.33; 95% CI, 1.84-2.94; P < .001). Adjusted comparison of telemedicine visits to in person visits during COVID-19 revealed telemedicine users were more likely to be female (OR, 1.38, 95% CI, 1.10-1.73; P = 0.005) and pay with non-government or commercial insurance (OR, 2.77; 95% CI, 1.85-4.16; P < .001).<h4>Conclusions</h4>During the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine was more likely utilized by female patients and those without government or commercial insurance compared to patients who used in-person visits. Interventions using telemedicine to improve health care access might consider such differences in utilization.Courtney M LattimoreWilliam J KaneMark A FlemingAllison N MartinJ Hunter MehaffeyMark E SmolkinSarah J RatcliffeVictor M ZaydfudimShayna L ShowalterTraci L HedrickPublic Library of Science (PLoS)articleMedicineRScienceQENPLoS ONE, Vol 16, Iss 10, p e0258452 (2021) |
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DOAJ |
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Medicine R Science Q |
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Medicine R Science Q Courtney M Lattimore William J Kane Mark A Fleming Allison N Martin J Hunter Mehaffey Mark E Smolkin Sarah J Ratcliffe Victor M Zaydfudim Shayna L Showalter Traci L Hedrick Disparities in telemedicine utilization among surgical patients during COVID-19. |
| description |
<h4>Background</h4>Telemedicine has been rapidly adopted in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is limited work surrounding demographic and socioeconomic disparities that may exist in telemedicine utilization. This study aimed to examine demographic and socioeconomic differences in surgical patient telemedicine usage during the COVID-19 pandemic.<h4>Methods</h4>Department of Surgery outpatients seen from July 1, 2019 to May 31, 2020 were stratified into three visit groups: pre-COVID-19 in-person, COVID-19 in-person, or COVID-19 telemedicine. Generalized linear models were used to examine associations of sex, race/ethnicity, Distressed Communities Index (DCI) scores, MyChart activation, and insurance status with telemedicine usage during the COVID-19 pandemic.<h4>Results</h4>14,792 patients (median age 60, female [57.0%], non-Hispanic White [76.4%]) contributed to 21,980 visits. Compared to visits before the pandemic, telemedicine visits during COVID-19 were more likely to be with patients from the least socioeconomically distressed communities (OR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.08,1.58; P = 0.005), with an activated MyChart (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.17-1.64; P < .001), and with non-government or commercial insurance (OR, 2.33; 95% CI, 1.84-2.94; P < .001). Adjusted comparison of telemedicine visits to in person visits during COVID-19 revealed telemedicine users were more likely to be female (OR, 1.38, 95% CI, 1.10-1.73; P = 0.005) and pay with non-government or commercial insurance (OR, 2.77; 95% CI, 1.85-4.16; P < .001).<h4>Conclusions</h4>During the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine was more likely utilized by female patients and those without government or commercial insurance compared to patients who used in-person visits. Interventions using telemedicine to improve health care access might consider such differences in utilization. |
| format |
article |
| author |
Courtney M Lattimore William J Kane Mark A Fleming Allison N Martin J Hunter Mehaffey Mark E Smolkin Sarah J Ratcliffe Victor M Zaydfudim Shayna L Showalter Traci L Hedrick |
| author_facet |
Courtney M Lattimore William J Kane Mark A Fleming Allison N Martin J Hunter Mehaffey Mark E Smolkin Sarah J Ratcliffe Victor M Zaydfudim Shayna L Showalter Traci L Hedrick |
| author_sort |
Courtney M Lattimore |
| title |
Disparities in telemedicine utilization among surgical patients during COVID-19. |
| title_short |
Disparities in telemedicine utilization among surgical patients during COVID-19. |
| title_full |
Disparities in telemedicine utilization among surgical patients during COVID-19. |
| title_fullStr |
Disparities in telemedicine utilization among surgical patients during COVID-19. |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Disparities in telemedicine utilization among surgical patients during COVID-19. |
| title_sort |
disparities in telemedicine utilization among surgical patients during covid-19. |
| publisher |
Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| publishDate |
2021 |
| url |
https://doaj.org/article/79a8eed00ab6471bb4641fc1be0e0779 |
| work_keys_str_mv |
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