| Autor: |
Uscher-Pines, Lori, Thompson, James, Taylor, Prentiss, Dean, Kristin, Yuan, Tony, Tong, Ian, Mehrotra, Ateev |
| Jazyk: |
angličtina |
| Rok vydání: |
2020 |
| Předmět: |
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| Zdroj: |
Journal of Medical Internet Research, Vol 22, Iss 12, p e22727 (2020) |
| Druh dokumentu: |
article |
| ISSN: |
1438-8871 |
| DOI: |
10.2196/22727 |
| Popis: |
BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in the use of and demand for telehealth services. ObjectiveHere, we describe the utilization of telehealth services provided by Doctor On Demand, Inc., a well-known telehealth company in the United States, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also explore how the number of virtual visits, reasons for visits, and patients served changed over time. MethodsWe reported data as a percentage change from the baseline week during 2 distinct time periods: February-June 2019 and February-June 2020 based on 4 categories of visits: respiratory illness, unscheduled behavioral health, scheduled behavioral health, and chronic illness. ResultsIn 2020, the total visit volume increased considerably from March through April 7, 2020 (59% above the baseline) and then declined through the week of June 2 (15% above the baseline). Visits for respiratory illnesses increased through the week of March 24 (30% above the baseline) and then steadily declined through the week of June 2 (65% below the baseline). Higher relative increases were observed for unscheduled behavioral health and chronic illness visits through April (109% and 131% above the baseline, respectively) before a decline through the week of June 2 (69% and 37% above the baseline, respectively). Increases in visit volume among rural residents were slightly higher than those among urban residents (peak at 64% vs 58% above the baseline, respectively). ConclusionsAlthough this telehealth service provider observed a substantial increase in the volume of visits during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is interesting to note that this growth was not fueled by COVID-19 concerns but by visits for behavioral health and chronic illness. Telehealth services may play a role as a “safety valve” for patients who have difficulty accessing care during a public health emergency. |
| Databáze: |
Directory of Open Access Journals |
| Externí odkaz: |
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