Female, Behavioral Health Physicians Led Early Telehealth Adoption

mHealth intelligence: Female, Behavioral Health Physicians Led Early Telehealth Adoption

A study found that female, primary care, and behavioral health physicians were more likely to adopt virtual care early in the pandemic compared to male and surgical specialty physicians. Primary care and behavioral health specialists were more likely to be early adopters compared to other specialty physicians. About 64 percent of primary care physicians and 41 percent of behavioral health physicians adopted virtual care during the first week of the public health emergency. Additionally, nearly 10 percent and 30 percent of primary care and behavioral health physicians, respectively, had adopted telehealth before the pandemic. Those who transitioned earlier towards telehealth were more perceptive towards patient-centered communication.