Who Is (and Is Not) Receiving Telemedicine Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced telehealth to be the primary means through which patients interact with their providers. There is a concern that the pandemic will exacerbate the existing disparities in overall healthcare utilization and telehealth utilization. Few national studies have examined the changes in telehealth use during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Data on 6.8 and 6.4 million employer-based health plan beneficiaries in 2020 and 2019, respectively, were collected in 2020. Unadjusted rates were compared both before and after the week of the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic as a national emergency. Trends in weekly utilization were also examined using a difference-in-differences regression framework to quantify the changes in telemedicine and offi

SUBMITTER: Cantor JH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7936544 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature