Telemedicine and health disparities: Association between the area deprivation index and primary care telemedicine utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

The rapid implementation of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic may have exacerbated the existing health disparities. This study investigated the association between the area deprivation index (ADI), which serves as a measure of socioeconomic deprivation within a geographic area, and the utilization of telemedicine in primary care.

Methods

The study data source was electronic health records. The study population consisted of patients with at least one primary care visit between March 2020 and December 2021. The primary outcome of interest was the visit modality (office, phone, and video). The exposure of interest was the ADI score grouped into quartiles (one to four, with one being the least deprived). The confounders included patient sociodemographic char

SUBMITTER: Ostovari M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10425871 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature