Patient Characteristics Strongly Tied to Telehealth Use

mHealth Intelligence: Patient Characteristics Strongly Tied to Telehealth Use

A study published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine (JABFM) found that, unlike provider characteristics, patient characteristics play a significant role in determining telehealth usage. The study consisted of 37,428 patients representing a total of 106,567 encounters, along with 42 providers. The study found that, compared to Hispanic patients, non-Hispanic White patients were 61 percent more likely to participate in a telemedicine visit, and non-Hispanic Black patients were 32 percent more likely. Researchers concluded that reviewing patient characteristics is critical when designing telehealth intervention strategies, especially for patients living in medically underserved areas (MUAs) who need alternate care methods.