| Autor: |
Bharadwaj M; Division of Urological Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA., Langbein B; Division of Urological Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA., Labban M; Division of Urological Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.; Center for Surgery and Public Health, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA., Lipsitz SR; Division of Urological Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.; Center for Surgery and Public Health, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA., Licurse AM; Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA., Trinh QD; Division of Urological Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.; Center for Surgery and Public Health, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. |
| Abstrakt: |
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated telehealth usage. This study aims to understand the impact of sociodemographic factors on telehealth usage during COVID-19 among surgical specialties. Methods: Our data contain surgical outpatient visits at an academic center from five periods between 2019 and 2020. A difference-in-differences regression model was used to examine the effect of exposure variables on virtual visit proportions between prepandemic and postpandemic time periods. Results: Compared with white patients, non-Medicare beneficiaries, and English-proficient patients, the rate of uptake in telehealth visits from prepandemic to postpandemic periods was lower for black patients, Medicare beneficiaries, and non-English-speaking patients, respectively. Surgical subspecialties saw varied usage of telehealth. A strong preference for phone visits by black patients, Medicare beneficiaries, and non-English-speaking patients existed. Conclusion: Phone visits are an important resource for marginalized communities. Understanding disparities in telemedicine usage may inform policy that could alleviate inequities in health care access. |
