Telehealth use suddenly jumped in the first months of pandemic coronavirus shutdown, with the approach being used more often for behavioral health services than for medical care, according to a new RAND Corporation study.
Between mid-March and early May 2020, telehealth was used by more than 40% of patients with a physical health condition and by more than 50% of those with a behavioral health condition, according to findings was published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Overall, nearly half of those receiving treatment at the onset of the pandemic reported using some form of telemedicine.
The researchers found that telehealth use for behavioral health disorders was lower among women and among people older than 60. Telehealth use was also lower among non-Hispanic whites compared to Neo-Blacks. Hispanic, and was lower among those with less than high school education compared to those with a college degree.
Although telecommunications use was more widespread, some American organizations said they did not use the services as often as others. If telehealth use is to be high, we need to ensure equal access, particularly for behavioral health care where education, age and gender were all linked to usage levels. “
Dr. Shira H. Fischer, Lead study author and physician researcher at RAND
In concluding with a significant impact on telehealth in the future, researchers also found that during the pandemic the majority of telehealth users were more connected to their own doctor than to their own. a new or unfamiliar doctor.
Prior to the pandemic, patients were often reluctant to use telehealth because it often meant seeing a provider in addition to their own physician. According to researchers, maintaining your doctor’s ability to see through telehealth may be necessary to make telehealth a permanent part of routine health care.
Many reports have recorded a spike in the use of telehealth services following the closure triggered by the pandemic coronavirus infection. The increase was made possible by emergency regulatory changes that were used to promote the use of telehealth.
RAND researchers examined the rise in telehealth by studying 2,052 adults who are part of the RAND for Life Panel of America, an internet panel that represents nationally. The questions on telehealth use were part of a larger study of life during the pandemic that was set up between May 1 and May 6.
When the pandemic began, nearly 40% of Americans surveyed were receiving treatment for a physical health condition, and 15% were receiving treatment for a behavioral health condition. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, 16% had considered seeking care for a new or recurrent condition.
The study found that among patients receiving care when the pandemic began, 11% had used telehealth that included video conferencing from mid-March to early March. in May, a period of less than two months. In contrast, a survey conducted by the same panel in 2019 found that less than 4% had ever used video conferencing with a doctor.
Among people who used telehealth services, researchers found that the use of video telehealth was less common for physical health care (14% of patients) than it was for behavioral health care (30% of patients). .
Lack of insurance related to telehealth use was lower for newcomers, while telehealth use was more common in the Northeast than other parts of the country.
“Telehealth is widely expected to continue after the end of the pandemic. Lessons from the use of telehealth during this period should inform policy for the period after COVID-19, said Fischer.