Telehealth Usage Disparities in Israel in Light of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Retrospective Cohort Study of Intersectional Sociodemographic Patterns and Health Equity Implications.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Telehealth has become a transformative health care delivery approach post the COVID-19 pandemic. Although telehealth improves health care access and reduces disparities, mounting evidence suggests usage patterns may exacerbate pre-existing health care inequities. Understanding these patterns across diverse populations is crucial for equitable digital health implementation.

Objective

This study aimed to examine telehealth usage patterns across sociodemographic groups in Israel's universal health system to identify equity issues. We investigated variations across intersecting demographic characteristics during pre-, mid-, and post-COVID-19 periods and assessed evolving after-hours usage patterns.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis using heal

SUBMITTER: Haimi M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12661909 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature