Rural-Urban Disparities in Video Telehealth Use During Rapid Mental Health Care Virtualization Among American Indian/Alaska Native Veterans.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

American Indian/Alaska Native veterans experience a high risk for health inequities, including mental health (MH) care access. Rapid virtualization of MH care in response to the COVID-19 pandemic facilitated care continuity across the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), but the association between virtualization of care and health inequities among American Indian/Alaska Native veterans is unknown.

Objective

To examine differences in video telehealth (VTH) use for MH care between American Indian/Alaska Native and non-American Indian/Alaska Native veterans by rurality and urbanicity.

Design, setting, and participants

In this cohort study, VHA administrative data on VTH use among a veteran cohort that received MH care from October 1, 2019, to February 29, 20

SUBMITTER: Kusters IS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10372753 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature