Telemedicine among Adults Living in America during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Background and Objectives Telemedicine can expand healthcare access to populations, but relying on technology risks a digital divide. Therefore, it is important to understand who utilizes telemedicine. This study explores telemedicine usage across socio-demographic groups in the United States during COVID-19. Methods Data came from the Household Pulse Survey (HPS) between 14 April 2021, to 11 April 2022. HPS is a rapid online response survey that assesses household experiences during COVID-19. We calculated descriptive statistics and used cross-correlation to test each pair of the time series curves. Results High school graduates used the least telemedicine (20.58%), while those with some college (23.29%) or college graduates (22.61%) had similar levels, and those with less than a high school education fluctuated over time. Black people had higher levels of use (26.31%) than Asians (22.01%). Individuals with disabilities (35.40%) used telemedicine more than individuals without disabilities (20.21%). Individuals 80 years or over (27.63%) used telemedicine more than individuals 18 to 29 years old (18.44%). Cross-correlations for the time series pairs across demographics revealed significant differences in telemedicine use for all demographic groups over time. Conclusions Overall, elderly, Black people, individuals with some college, and persons with disabilities report higher levels of telemedicine use. Telemedicine may improve healthcare access post-pandemic, but more research is needed to understand factors that drive differences among groups.

Telehealth Utilization and Good Care among Informal Caregivers: Health Information National Trends Survey, 2022

“…Additionally, telehealth use was highest among those living in the Northeast and West regions [7]. These studies were conducted on large sample sizes of overall patients, enabling the detection of small differences [7,12]. The discrepancy between our results and those of others could be attributed to the current study's smaller sample size vs. studies with larger sample sizes [7] or to different researched populations (overall patients vs. informal caregivers).…”

“…The majority of the existing body of knowledge on telehealth utilization and quality, particularly related to sociodemographics, is based on the overall patient population [7][8][9][10][11][12]. Here, among informal caregivers, the comparative analysis between telehealth users and non-users revealed that age, gender, health insurance, and race/ethnicity were significantly associated with telehealth utilization.…”

“…Prior studies indicated that patients with a bachelor's degree or above had a 5% higher likelihood of using telehealth than those with only a high school education or less [11]. Another study found that high school graduates used the least telehealth (20.58%), while those with some college (23.29%) or college graduates (22.61%) had similar levels, and those with less than a high school education fluctuated over time [12]. Additionally, telehealth use was highest among those living in the Northeast and West regions [7].…”

“…Age influences telehealth utilization, since older individuals may face more technological challenges, limiting their telehealth utilization [7]. The association of race/ethnicity and income with telehealth utilization has yielded mixed results [7][8][9][10][11][12]. From a theoretical point of view, individuals with higher income tend to have more resources, which facilitates telehealth consultations.…”

Public Telemedicine Policy in Brazilian Unified Health System: An Impact Analysis

“…Curioso et al [ 5 ] discuss the difficulties of implementing telemedicine in Peru and its importance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hung et al [ 6 ] studied the characteristics of telemedicine users during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. They concluded that the use of telemedicine was higher among the elderly, blacks, college-educated, and disabled.…”