Genetics and Behavioral Health Pediatric Subspecialists Use Telehealth Most

mHealth Intelligence: Genetics and Behavioral Health Pediatric Subspecialists Use Telehealth Most

A recent study found that pediatric telehealth use was inconsistent across subspecialties, with genetics and behavioral health subspecialists using the care modality the most. Among subspecialties that used telehealth less frequently, like cardiology, orthopedics, and urology, the utilization rate was six percent to 29 percent. Among those that used telehealth at a higher rate, such as genetics, behavioral health, and pulmonology, virtual visit utilization ranged from 38.8 percent to 73 percent. Additionally, Hispanic patients and patients who spoke in a primary language other than English were less likely to participate in a telehealth visit. Researchers concluded that telehealth use among pediatric patients was inconsistent among different subspecialties, likely due to varying access levels to technology and barriers that arose from the COVID-19 pandemic.