Comfort With Telehealth Among Residents of an Underserved Urban Area.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Deployment of telehealth has been touted as a means of reducing health disparities in underserved groups. However, efforts to reduce regulatory barriers have not been associated with greater telehealth uptake. The goal of this study was to examine engagement with technology among low-income people of color living in Newark, New Jersey.

Methods

Using surveys and focus groups, we examined study participants' daily use of technology (eg, Internet) and comfort with telehealth services (eg, use of teleconferencing for medication refills) before and after COVID-related social distancing mandates went into effect.

Results

Use of technology was significantly lower in the pre-COVID period. However, prior months' use of technology had a weak but significant correlati

SUBMITTER: Bagchi AD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9434674 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature