Racial and Ethnic Differences in Telemedicine Use

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Telemedicine Use

March 22, 2024 | Felipe O. Marcondes, MD, MPH; Sharon-Lise T. Normand, PhD; Benjamin Le Cook, PhD; Haiden A. Huskamp, PhD; Jorge A. Rodriguez, MD; Michael L. Barnett, MD, MS; Lori Uscher-Pines, PhD; Alisa B. Busch, MD, MS; Ateev Mehrotra, MD, MPH
This study examines racial and ethnic differences in telemedicine use among individuals enrolled in traditional Medicare from March 2020 to February 2022. The findings show that, initially, Black, Hispanic, and other racial groups had higher unadjusted rates of telemedicine use compared to White individuals. However, after adjusting for demographic, clinical, and geographic factors, these groups had fewer telemedicine visits per 100 beneficiaries than White individuals. The study also found that, despite higher telemedicine use per capita during the pandemic, Black and Hispanic individuals had fewer total visits than White individuals when accounting for geographic region. The study highlights that while some racial and ethnic minority groups may live in areas with higher telemedicine use, they still had lower rates of telemedicine use after controlling for geography. This suggests that factors beyond geography, such as access to technology, digital literacy, and socioeconomic status, may influence telemedicine use. The study also found that audio-only telemedicine visits were more common among Black and Hispanic individuals, but after adjusting for various factors, these groups had fewer mental health-related telemedicine visits compared to White individuals. The study concludes that despite the initial increase in telemedicine use among racial and ethnic minority groups during the pandemic, these groups still had lower rates of telemedicine use compared to White individuals when accounting for geographic and demographic factors. The findings suggest that policies aimed at improving digital health equity and addressing disparities in telemedicine access are needed to ensure equitable access to care. The study also notes that there was no significant narrowing of disparities in overall visit counts between racial and ethnic groups over time.This study examines racial and ethnic differences in telemedicine use among individuals enrolled in traditional Medicare from March 2020 to February 2022. The findings show that, initially, Black, Hispanic, and other racial groups had higher unadjusted rates of telemedicine use compared to White individuals. However, after adjusting for demographic, clinical, and geographic factors, these groups had fewer telemedicine visits per 100 beneficiaries than White individuals. The study also found that, despite higher telemedicine use per capita during the pandemic, Black and Hispanic individuals had fewer total visits than White individuals when accounting for geographic region. The study highlights that while some racial and ethnic minority groups may live in areas with higher telemedicine use, they still had lower rates of telemedicine use after controlling for geography. This suggests that factors beyond geography, such as access to technology, digital literacy, and socioeconomic status, may influence telemedicine use. The study also found that audio-only telemedicine visits were more common among Black and Hispanic individuals, but after adjusting for various factors, these groups had fewer mental health-related telemedicine visits compared to White individuals. The study concludes that despite the initial increase in telemedicine use among racial and ethnic minority groups during the pandemic, these groups still had lower rates of telemedicine use compared to White individuals when accounting for geographic and demographic factors. The findings suggest that policies aimed at improving digital health equity and addressing disparities in telemedicine access are needed to ensure equitable access to care. The study also notes that there was no significant narrowing of disparities in overall visit counts between racial and ethnic groups over time.
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