Telehealth Utilization During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among People With Functional Disabilities in the U.S.: A Preliminary Analysis of National Health Interview Survey 2020 Data
Introduction: Telehealth has been widely promoted and adopted at multiple levels in the U.S. healthcare system during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this rapid expansion of telehealth services may have further exacerbated health inequities among marginalized groups. Methods: Using the 2020 National...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-12-01
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| Series: | AJPM Focus |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S277306542300086X |
| _version_ | 1797448738280570880 |
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| author | Zhigang Xie, PhD, MPA Young-Rock Hong, PhD, MPH Ara Jo, PhD, MS Nicole M. Marlow, PhD, MSPH |
| author_facet | Zhigang Xie, PhD, MPA Young-Rock Hong, PhD, MPH Ara Jo, PhD, MS Nicole M. Marlow, PhD, MSPH |
| author_sort | Zhigang Xie, PhD, MPA |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: Telehealth has been widely promoted and adopted at multiple levels in the U.S. healthcare system during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this rapid expansion of telehealth services may have further exacerbated health inequities among marginalized groups. Methods: Using the 2020 National Health Interview Survey, this study compared patterns of telehealth use between people with functional disabilities and people without disabilities during the first year of the pandemic. Results: In the multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models, respondents with moderate disabilities were significantly more likely to report telehealth use, not pandemic related (OR=1.25, 95% CI=1.03, 1.52) and telehealth use, pandemic related (OR=1.43, 95% CI=1.28, 1.60) than people without disabilities. Similarly, respondents with severe disabilities were significantly more likely to report telehealth use, not pandemic related (OR=1.46, 95% CI=1.07, 2.00) and telehealth use, pandemic related (OR=2.06, 95% CI=1.72, 2.46). In addition, telehealth use varied by the number of limitations and disability type. Conclusions: People with functional disabilities were more likely to report telehealth use than people without disabilities. Furthermore, these associations strengthened with increasing disability severity and number of limitations while varying by disability type. Additional studies are warranted to explore ways of providing patient-centered telehealth to responsively meet various healthcare needs of people with functional disabilities and improve their health outcomes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T14:14:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-75f6bd78a4d84655bd21d15dd62f6746 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2773-0654 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T14:14:46Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | AJPM Focus |
| spelling | doaj.art-75f6bd78a4d84655bd21d15dd62f67462023-11-29T04:25:24ZengElsevierAJPM Focus2773-06542023-12-0124100149Telehealth Utilization During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among People With Functional Disabilities in the U.S.: A Preliminary Analysis of National Health Interview Survey 2020 DataZhigang Xie, PhD, MPA0Young-Rock Hong, PhD, MPH1Ara Jo, PhD, MS2Nicole M. Marlow, PhD, MSPH3Department of Public Health, Brooks College of Health, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida; Address correspondence to: Zhigang Xie, PhD, MPA, Department of Public Health, Brooks College of Health, University of North Florida, 1 UNF Drive, Building 39 Room 4014, Jacksonville FL 32224.Department of Health Services Research, Management & Policy, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; UF Health Cancer Center, Gainesville, FloridaDepartment of Health Services Research, Management & Policy, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FloridaDepartment of Health Services Research, Management & Policy, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FloridaIntroduction: Telehealth has been widely promoted and adopted at multiple levels in the U.S. healthcare system during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this rapid expansion of telehealth services may have further exacerbated health inequities among marginalized groups. Methods: Using the 2020 National Health Interview Survey, this study compared patterns of telehealth use between people with functional disabilities and people without disabilities during the first year of the pandemic. Results: In the multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models, respondents with moderate disabilities were significantly more likely to report telehealth use, not pandemic related (OR=1.25, 95% CI=1.03, 1.52) and telehealth use, pandemic related (OR=1.43, 95% CI=1.28, 1.60) than people without disabilities. Similarly, respondents with severe disabilities were significantly more likely to report telehealth use, not pandemic related (OR=1.46, 95% CI=1.07, 2.00) and telehealth use, pandemic related (OR=2.06, 95% CI=1.72, 2.46). In addition, telehealth use varied by the number of limitations and disability type. Conclusions: People with functional disabilities were more likely to report telehealth use than people without disabilities. Furthermore, these associations strengthened with increasing disability severity and number of limitations while varying by disability type. Additional studies are warranted to explore ways of providing patient-centered telehealth to responsively meet various healthcare needs of people with functional disabilities and improve their health outcomes.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S277306542300086XTelehealthCOVID-19pandemicdisability |
| spellingShingle | Zhigang Xie, PhD, MPA Young-Rock Hong, PhD, MPH Ara Jo, PhD, MS Nicole M. Marlow, PhD, MSPH Telehealth Utilization During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among People With Functional Disabilities in the U.S.: A Preliminary Analysis of National Health Interview Survey 2020 Data AJPM Focus Telehealth COVID-19 pandemic disability |
| title | Telehealth Utilization During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among People With Functional Disabilities in the U.S.: A Preliminary Analysis of National Health Interview Survey 2020 Data |
| title_full | Telehealth Utilization During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among People With Functional Disabilities in the U.S.: A Preliminary Analysis of National Health Interview Survey 2020 Data |
| title_fullStr | Telehealth Utilization During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among People With Functional Disabilities in the U.S.: A Preliminary Analysis of National Health Interview Survey 2020 Data |
| title_full_unstemmed | Telehealth Utilization During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among People With Functional Disabilities in the U.S.: A Preliminary Analysis of National Health Interview Survey 2020 Data |
| title_short | Telehealth Utilization During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among People With Functional Disabilities in the U.S.: A Preliminary Analysis of National Health Interview Survey 2020 Data |
| title_sort | telehealth utilization during the covid 19 pandemic among people with functional disabilities in the u s a preliminary analysis of national health interview survey 2020 data |
| topic | Telehealth COVID-19 pandemic disability |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S277306542300086X |
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