Healthcare IT News (2/18, Jercich) reports that a Health Affairs study “found that telemedicine use during the COVID-19 pandemic was lower in communities with higher rates of poverty – suggesting that the industry must address the digital divide in order to ensure widespread access to virtual care.” The study, “which was conducted by researchers from Harvard and the RAND Corporation, examined the variation in total outpatient visits and telemedicine use among 16.7 million commercially insured and Medicare Advantage enrollees from January through June 2020.” The research team wrote: “Although the increase in telemedicine use during the pandemic is widely recognized, it is unclear how the use of telemedicine and in-person care has varied across patient demographics, clinical specialties, and medical conditions.”
Related Links:
— “Telehealth used less in disadvantaged areas, Health Affairs study finds “Kat Jercich, Healthcare IT News, February 18, 2021