Epilepsia: Telemedicine as a Path to Bridging Inequities in Patients with Epilepsy Access to epilepsy specialist care is not uniform in the US with prominent gaps in rural areas. In this retrospective study, social determinants of health were collected for all adult patients scheduled in epilepsy clinic, either as an in-person or telemedicine appointment at University of Kentucky between July 2021 till December 2022. The no-show rate was significantly higher for in-person visits (32 percent) compared with telemedicine visits (20 percent). Telemedicine was effective at improving attendance, overcoming socioeconomic hurdles, and widening access to epilepsy care, particularly among under-served population. Access to [...]

RAND Corporation: Utilization and Spending on Mental Health Services Among Children and Youths With Commercial Insurance Spending on mental health services for children and adolescents has risen by more than one-quarter since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, continuing to rise even as the use of telehealth plateaued. The study found that use of telehealth for pediatric patients increased more than 30-fold during the early months of the pandemic and remained at 23 times normal by August 2022, even as in-person care reached 75 percent of pre-pandemic levels. The findings suggest that telehealth care for mental health filled a [...]

PR Newswire: Utilization of Audio-Only Telehealth Remains Steady Nationally In July 2023, utilization of audio-only telehealth services remained steady at the national level in urban areas (4.8 percent) and increased slightly in rural areas (rising from 4.5 percent in June to 4.6 percent in July). The biggest change was seen in the rural South, where utilization decreased from 5.1 percent in June to 4.9 percent in July, while urban areas in that region remained steady at 9.1 percent. As in June, both nationally and in the South, urban areas showed higher utilization than rural areas, while in the Midwest, West [...]

JAMA Network Open: Utilization and Spending on Mental Health Services Among Children and Youths With Commercial Insurance Pediatric telehealth for mental health needs filled a critical deficit in the immediate period following the emergence of COVID-19, and continues to account for a substantial portion of pediatric mental health service utilization. Supported by evidence that telehealth can effectively deliver mental health treatment for children and youths, these findings have important implications for telehealth sustainability beyond the effects of COVID-19. For additional coverage, see Healthcare Finance.