Racial and ethnic differences in family planning telehealth use during the onset of the COVID-19 response in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To explore racial/ethnic disparities in family planning telehealth use. STUDY DESIGN: We analyzed telehealth and in-clinic visits (n = 3142) from ten family planning clinics (April 1-July 31, 2020) by race/ethnicity and month. RESULTS: Telehealth comprised 1257/3142 (40.0%) of overall visits. Telehealth was used by 242/765 (31.6%) of Black/African American and 31/106 (29.2%) multiracial patients. Patients with unknown (162/295, 54.9%), White (771/1870, 41.2%), and other (51/106, 48.1%) identities comprised the majority of telehealth visits. CONCLUSIONS: Our study found differences in telehealth use during the COVID-19 pandemic response. IMPLICATIONS Understanding barriers and facilitators to telehealth is critical to reducing disparities in access.