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

Healio (2/18, Gramigna) reports researchers found “nearly one-third of patients with severe COVID-19 had PTSD after acute infection.” The findings were published in a research letter in JAMA Psychiatry.

MedPage Today (2/18, Grant) reports in the study, “among the 381 patients who were followed, those who developed PTSD were more likely to be women (55.7%), had higher rates of history of psychiatric disorder (34.8%), and were more likely to have had delirium or agitation during their acute illness (16.5%).”

Related Links:

— “One-third of ED-admitted COVID-19 patients may experience PTSD “Joe Gramigna, Healio, February 18, 2021

HealthDay (2/17) reports researchers analyzed 28 studies and found that children who bully other children are more likely to abuse tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs later in life. The review study was published in Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Child Bullies at Higher Odds for Substance Abuse as Adults: Study ” Denise Mann, HealthDay, February 17, 2021

The Washington Post (2/17, Schmidt) reports that a “report the CDC released this month found that gay, lesbian and bisexual people in the United States have higher rates of self-reported underlying conditions associated with severe covid-19 outcomes, including asthma, cancer, heart disease, obesity, kidney disease and stroke, than heterosexual people.” Within this community, “Black and Hispanic people are particularly vulnerable, according to the report, which relied on 2017-2019 data from a collection of population health surveys called the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.” But “as the report’s authors point out, no one knows the true toll of the virus on that community – because the United States is not collecting the data necessary to study it.”

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— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)

HealthDay (2/17) reports researchers found “older adults who get little sleep each night may be at heightened risk of dementia or earlier death.” The findings were published in Aging.

Related Links:

— “Too Little Sleep Could Raise Your Dementia Risk “Amy Norton, HealthDay, February 17, 2021