Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Telemedicine Usage Persist During Pandemic

University of Houston: Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Telemedicine Usage Persist During Pandemic

According to a study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, the rapid implementation of telemedicine didn’t bridge the gap in racial and ethnic health disparities as much as people had hoped. Researchers found that African Americans were 35 percent and Hispanics were 51 percent less likely to use telemedicine compared to White people. The study also found that individuals younger than 18 years old and older adults were less likely to have a telemedicine visit when compared to non-elderly adults, as were those covered under Medicaid or who were uninsured. The findings suggest that the promise of the positive impact of telemedicine on health care use and health outcomes could elude underserved populations.