Parent-Reported Use of Pediatric Primary Care Telemedicine: Survey Study

Abstract

Background Telemedicine delivered from primary care practices became widely available for children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective Focusing on children with a usual source of care, we aimed to examine factors associated with use of primary care telemedicine. Methods In February 2022, we surveyed parents of children aged ≤17 years on the AmeriSpeak panel, a probability-based panel of representative US households, about their children’s telemedicine use. We first compared sociodemographic factors among respondents who did and did not report a usual source of care for their children. Among those reporting a usual source of care, we used Rao-Scott F tests to examine factors associated with parent-reported use versus nonuse of primary care telemedicine for their children. Results Of 1206 respondents, 1054 reported a usual source of care for their children. Of these respondents, 301 of 1054 (weighted percentage 28%) reported primary care telemedicine visits for their children. Factors associated with primary care telemedicine use versus nonuse included having a child with a chronic medical condition (87/301, weighted percentage 27% vs 113/753, 15%, respectively; P=.002), metropolitan residence (262/301, weighted percentage 88% vs 598/753, 78%, respectively; P=.004), greater internet connectivity concerns (60/301, weighted percentage 24% vs 116/753, 16%, respectively; P=.05), and greater health literacy (285/301, weighted percentage 96% vs 693/753, 91%, respectively; P=.005). Conclusions In a national sample of respondents with a usual source of care for their children, approximately one-quarter reported use of primary care telemedicine for their children as of 2022. Equitable access to primary care telemedicine may be enhanced by promoting access to primary care, sustaining payment for primary care telemedicine, addressing barriers in nonmetropolitan practices, and designing for lower health-literacy populations.

Exploring Telemedicine: The Perceptions and Utilization among Patients

“…Telemedicine adoption has skyrocketed in recent years experiencing an unprecedented surge that has been catalyzed in particular by the global COVID-19 pandemic. As reported by a study of Ray et al in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, a 154 per cent increase in the number of telemedicine visits during the last week of March 2020, compared to the same period in 2019 [1].…”

Parent Perceptions of Telemedicine for Acute Pediatric Respiratory Tract Infections: Sequential Mixed Methods Study

“…Building on these qualitative findings, we fielded and analyzed a national survey to examine pediatric telemedicine use. Prior analysis examined parent-reported use of primary care telemedicine [ 21 ]. In this analysis, we focus instead on parent expectations of the care their child would receive if they presented at each of 5 different sites of care: in-person primary care, in-person urgent care, in-person ED, PCP telemedicine, and commercial DTC telemedicine.…”

“…As described in greater detail elsewhere [ 21 ], we then developed a survey informed by our prior qualitative findings and fielded the survey nationally through the University of Chicago’s AmeriSpeak Panel [ 23 ], a nationally representative panel. The survey included items asking about parent priorities and expectations when seeking care for a child’s ARTI, prior telemedicine use, and sociodemographic characteristics.…”

“…The survey underwent cognitive testing with 3 parents of young children and was offered in English and Spanish. Prior analysis of survey data focused on parent-report of PCP telemedicine use relative to sociodemographic characteristics of the respondent [ 21 ]. This analysis focuses on parent expectations of 21 different factors with the potential to influence their care-seeking across 5 different sites of care: in-person primary care, in-person urgent care, in-person ED, PCP telemedicine, and commercial DTC telemedicine.…”